


Translations

by nightspear



Series: Daniel of Abydos [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 11:04:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 159,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3065468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightspear/pseuds/nightspear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Claire and Melburn Jackson stayed on Abydos after the first mission in 1982. Fifteen years later, Jack O'Neill leads a team to bring them back to Earth, but he returns instead with their newly orphaned, fourteen-year-old son, Daniel. Explicit spoilers up to early season 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Abydos

**Author's Note:**

> 1) The first Abydos mission happened in about fourteen years earlier than it did in the movie; thus, all of the Jacksons' ages are different. Everyone else is the same.
> 
> 2) I've tried to keep linguistic and scientific details reasonable (as much as this universe allows). Since I don't find it reasonable that most planets they find have English speakers, I'm saying that it was a production issue instead of a story issue--that is, they did it in the show to avoid constant subtitling and fake languages that they didn't have time to make up each week. For Abydonian and Goa'uld languages, I've tried to use canon language and vocabulary when possible, but my interpretation of the words may be wrong; either way, everything should be understandable from context (or else it's not meant to be understood).

**_7 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 2000 hrs_ **

"General Hammond," Major Samuels said in introduction; "Colonel Jack O'Neill."

Jack stepped into the office, out of uniform and standing as casually as he possibly could without being overtly disrespectful. "Retired," he clarified.

"I can see that, Colonel," the man behind the desk said amiably, as if at complete ease, though Jack was sure neither of them was at all relaxed. "Me, I'm on my last tour. I'm thinking of writing a book."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Jack prompted, "Major Samuels mentioned something about the Stargate."

George Hammond gave a tight smile in return. "Down to business. I can do that." Without a pause, he went on, "You were on the team that went through the Stargate in 1982."

"I'm sure you've seen the files, sir," Jack said in answer. "I was there." A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he squinted out the open door. An SF closed it as soon as he was caught looking, before he could take a good look at the man inside. "Is that..."

"That's right, Colonel: Major Charles Kawalsky," Hammond said. "He served with you on a number of occasions--in fact, you were the only two who returned through the Stargate in 1982."

More worried now, Jack didn't bother hiding the edge in his voice when he asked, "Why are we being questioned?"

"Well, it's been nearly fifteen years since your trip through the 'gate. Has your perspective changed?" Hammond's eyes were sharp, searching.

 _Last chance to change your story_ , he meant, but Jack hadn't spent years in special ops for nothing; it would take more than this to spook a reaction from him. "It's been nearly fifteen years," Jack parroted with a shrug. "A lot's changed. What exactly do you need, General?"

"It seems a little clarification is necessary," Hammond told him, folding his hands on the desk in front of him. "The Jacksons..."

"It's all in the report," he said, knowing now where the question lay but unwilling to cede it unless he was forced. Hammond raised his eyebrows at the interruption. "Sir."

"Is it?" Jack glanced back as Major Samuels spoke up behind him. "You didn't like Claire and Melburn Jackson very much, did you?"

Raising an eyebrow, he answered, "They were scientists, Major-- _geeks_. Not my usual crowd."

"So you didn't like them," Samuels summarized.

"I didn't say that," Jack retorted. He and the two archaeologists had come to respect each other; he wasn't about to betray their trust after all they'd been through together. "They were a perfectly nice couple and didn't get in our way too much. They also saved our lives and got us home. Little thing like that kinda makes people grow on you."

"And your commanding officer, Colonel John Michaels," Samuels continued, "and the rest of the team were killed."

Jack bristled. "Ra's forces attacked and overpowered us. Colonel Michaels, several more of our men, _and_ many of the natives who helped us were killed in action. They saved our lives and were essential in defeating Ra."

"The report says that attack was the reason why the 'gate on the other side wasn't destroyed immediately," Hammond said, picking up the thread, "despite orders to detonate the nuclear device once you'd arrived and determined a threat to Earth."

"I assume so," Jack said, forcing his eyes not to flick over in the direction Kawalsky had gone. "Colonel Michaels was the only one who knew about the bomb initially. Kawalsky and I didn't learn about it until we were being held in Ra's prison."

"But with the help of the Jacksons, you eventually regained control and did, in fact, detonate the weapon?"

"Yes," Jack said. That wasn't a lie.

"So, to the best of your knowledge, Claire and Melburn Jackson and everyone else you knew on Abydos is dead, correct?" Hammond said, with a look in his eye that Jack really didn't like.

"That's correct," Jack said. Okay, _that_ was a lie, though he'd thought they'd covered their asses pretty well..."We sent a robot probe through after we got back, sir, and it was flattened on the other end. Obviously, the Abydos Stargate was buried in the rubble."

"But somehow," Hammond said, leaning forward slightly, "it got unburied."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Sir?"

The general gestured for Jack to follow him to where they could see the room where the Stargate was stored. Jack looked out the glass to see something on the ramp...

Something counting down.

"Oh my god." Jack turned incredulously to the general. "You're sending another bomb through. General, the threat's eliminated--it's closed from their end!"

"Countdown's already started," Hammond said firmly. There was nearly an hour left on the timer, Jack saw when he looked again. "Unless you have something to add?"

_Son of a..._

Michaels was dead; so was everyone else who'd gone with Jack and Kawalsky. Jack had retired, but Kawalsky was still in the service; this could ruin the man's career. Still, Jack had been in command by the end of the Abydos '82 mission, so there was a chance Kawalsky wouldn't take the blame when he had been following orders.

Besides, they'd lied on their report back then to protect the Abydonian people. If the 'gate really _wasn't_ buried anymore and they let a bomb get through now...

Decision time.

"General Hammond," Jack said, straightening. "I regret to inform you that my report was not entirely accurate."

With a knowing, grim smile, Hammond clarified, "You didn't detonate the bomb."

"Oh, we did," Jack said. "And it was aboard Ra's spacecraft, so it did kill him and eliminate the threat to Earth. However...Ra's ship was in orbit above the planet at the time. The 'gate wasn't destroyed. The Jacksons are alive and living with the people on Abydos. After we came home, they buried the gate in rocks, making my return or anybody else's impossible. The threat from their side is eliminated, too."

"Well," Hammond said, his voice flat with tightly coiled anger, "there are four bodies lying in the infirmary that say otherwise."

Jack stiffened. " _What_?"

"Something came through that 'gate, Colonel," Hammond told him, no trace of smile on his face now. "The threat's not gone. We'll send the bomb through on schedule."

...x...

There were... _creatures_ of some sort in the infirmary. Jack looked from the overwhelmingly human features to the pouches on their stomachs. "Well?" Hammond said.

"I very much doubt that they came from Abydos," Jack said, though he wasn't so certain now that he saw the weapons the aliens had brought through the Stargate--he had seen those before, after all, during the fight against Ra's forces over a decade ago. He hesitated, then said, "General, let me take a team through that 'gate. We'll find out what's going on. Kawalsky and I have been there before, we know the lay of the land, we know the people..."

"You _think_ you know them," the general said. "It's been fifteen years in a harsh environment with no advanced technology, in the aftermath of a revolution. They didn't any supplies they didn't bring with them. Do you know what the average life expectancy was in ancient Egypt?"

"No?" Jack said, which was true. It wasn't something he'd thought about--he'd had _them_ to think about it--though he supposed it was..."...Less than it is here?"

"Considerably so, according to the Jacksons' own work," Hammond agreed. "We have to take precautions. They could be dead by now. You don't know what you'd be walking into."

"Well, there's an easy way to find out." Jack snagged a box of tissues from the desk. "You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?"

Hammond raised his eyebrows. "Colonel?"

"Claire Jackson has allergies," he explained. "We'll send her a message. They'll understand."

XXXXX

**_10 October 1997; SGC, Earth; Nagada Village, Abydos; 1200 hrs_ **

It wasn't that Jack was complaining about having confirmation that the Jacksons were alive, alerted via their return message on the tissue box. And the chance to go through the 'gate again? Sweet. He just had a problem with--

"Another scientist," he sighed, standing before the ramp that led to the stone ring and eyeing the astrophysicist unhappily. "General..."

"Captain Carter's inclusion in this mission is not an option, Colonel," Hammond told him firmly. "It's because of her expertise and her team's work that we have computers able to dial the 'gate at all. Personally, I'd think you'd like this better than the manual dialing you had to do last time."

Jack glanced at her, where he could hear Sam Carter rambling excitedly about _how much energy the Stargate must release, it was_ really _just_ incredible...

"Oh, for crying out loud," he muttered, adjusting his grip on his gun and stalking up the ramp.

"Colonel," Carter said brightly as he met her at the ring, both of them staring into the shimmering surface. "This is...this is...well, astronomical! You can actually _see_ the fluctuations in the..."

With a final roll of his eyes, Jack placed a hand on her back and unceremoniously helped her into the fluctuating whatever before stepping through...

...and found himself staring down the business end of a lot of automatic weapons and some lower-tech--but very pointy--spears and knives. Jack and the rest of his team had brought their own guns to bear, too, before Jack even registered the motion.

Movement at the far end of the room caught his attention, and he flicked his gaze toward the exit just as a slight figure scampered out into the darkness.

"Nice to meet you, too," Jack said to the room, and then, more quietly, "Kawalsky? You haven't been brushing up on your Abydonian lately, have you?"

"Sorry, sir," Kawalsky said tensely.

"Of course not," he muttered. Hammond's warning that he didn't really know the situation here suddenly seemed much more realistic, There was little doubt Jack's team would win in a firefight, but as far as they knew, these were innocent young men, and Abydos had helped them before. Earth had come here for help, not to fight. "Any ideas?"

And then a familiar voice rang out. " _Cha'hari_!" Jack's gaze darted toward a man who'd just stepped into the crowd. " _Cha'hari_."

"Lower your weapons!" a woman's voice added from a few feet away.

The boys--many of them not even old enough to be cadets, he could see, now that he was looking--instantly obeyed the command. Recognizing the couple who stood there, even after fifteen years, Jack lowered his own and saw his men do the same around him.

Dr. Claire Jackson stepped forward, her head tilted questioningly to one side. "Captain O'Neill. Um...welcome back?"

Behind them, whispers broke out. he would swear he heard ' _O'Neill_ ' a few times.

"Dr. Jackson," Jack said, moving to stand in front of his men. "And...Dr. Jackson. It's Colonel now, but it's good to see you two well." They'd gone totally native, it seemed, dressed comfortably in sandals and sand-colored robes, no hint of the uniform or tac vests they'd worn on the first trip so long ago.

"No need to be so formal," her husband assured him, adjusting the glasses that he'd somehow managed not to break or lose in all this time away from Earth. "It'd get confusing, calling us both the same thing."

"Melburn, then," Jack acknowledged. "How're you doing?"

The Jacksons glanced at each other. "Good," Melburn said with a forced lightness. "Great."

"Greetings from Earth, Docs," Kawalsky spoke up, holding up a pack of tissues. "Brought a little something for you, ma'am."

"Is that you, Captain Kawalsky?" Claire said after a moment, accepting the tissues with a small smile. "Or are you a colonel now, too?"

"Major," he corrected.

An awkward pause settled around them, punctuated now by hissing whispers of ' _Kawalsky_ ' and ' _O'Neill_ ' that were barely audible over the crackling of the torches. Jack cleared his throat. "So," he said, unnerved by the distance that fifteen years had created. For being surrounded by familiar and friendly people, he felt like someone had left a few things out of the briefing on Abydonian customs and courtesies. Then again, this time, _he_ had been the closest to an expert on the local customs, so maybe that was what the problem was. "Were you waiting for us, or are we just lucky you happened to be standing here?"

"We were nearby when Dan'yel came to tell us the Stargate was active," Melburn said looking around. "Where did he--" A movement behind him made him stop and make a half-turn. " _Dan'yel_ ," he called. When the shadowed figure only shifted slightly, he added, "Well, come on in, Danny. Don't be shy."

Dan'yel stepped into the light and turned out to be a boy--even younger than the 'gate guards, probably, though not by much.

Oddly, Jack found himself thinking of the way Charlie had always let his hair grow unruly until it dropped into his eyes and interfered with seeing baseballs, just like this Dan'yel's messy strands that were now brushed carelessly away with a hand. It was a stupid thought, though, and Jack quickly squashed it and forced himself to relax--this boy was older, taller, his features nothing like Charlie's except in the most superficial ways, and then only from a distance or when half-hidden in shadow.

The boy said something in the local language, too fast for Jack to pick out any of the smattering of words he actually knew. Melburn replied in kind.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill," Claire said, taking a few steps to place her hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'd like you to meet Daniel."

"Hi, Daniel," Jack said. "So you were the messenger, huh." He stopped and looked more closely at the boy's--Daniel's--blue eyes wide with excitement, his light hair bleached blond in the Abydonian sun among the sea of black hair that surrounded them... "Wha-- _whoa_. Yours?" he asked, looking at the Jacksons. "You have a _son_?" Melburn was grinning and Claire combed an affectionate hand through her son's hair.

"Hello, Colonel O'Neill," Daniel said politely. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

Jack extended a hand. Daniel stared at it for a moment before clasping it in return. "You speak English," Jack observed, mildly surprised. There was an accent, he thought, but light; the boy sounded practically American.

"So do some of the others--we've been teaching them. And English isn't all our Daniel speaks, either," Melburn said, pride evident in his voice. "We did bring a lot of language reference books with us."

"I remember," Jack replied wryly. "I had to carry some of 'em."

"What's happening?" Daniel asked, his head tilted exactly as his mother's had been a moment ago, staring up through hair just long enough to cover the top half of his eyes. "Why have you come back?"

Jack caught the elder Jacksons' eyes over Daniel's head. "No offense," Claire said, "but I'm wondering that myself."

"Yeah," Jack said. "About that...is there somewhere we can talk? There's a lot to explain."

The couple exchanged another look. "Of course," Claire said. "We were just about to have our evening meal. Why don't your men take a rest? Just let us help get everyone settled, and then we'll go somewhere a little quieter."

"Can I come?" Daniel asked eagerly.

Seeing Jack's look of warning, Claire said, "Actually, Danny, why don't you stay with, uh, Major Kawalsky and the others."

"But--"

Melburn said something--not in English or Abydonian, but rather in what Jack recognized as Arabic, the man's first language according to his file--and Daniel's eyes brightened in interest. Jack stayed near the entrance of the room while all three Jacksons stepped toward the rest to explain to them what was happening. Carter was holding a camera to record everything in sight and already talking to Daniel about something or other when the elder Jacksons came back.

"What'd you tell him?" Jack asked Melburn as they stepped out of the room, leaving the boy behind with the others.

"That he could play interpreter," Melburn explained. "You'll have to excuse him--he loves learning about other cultures, but obviously, he's never actually met outsiders like you before."

Jack couldn't hold back an amused snort. "He really is your son, huh? Three languages in the space of a minute."

"He certainly is," Claire said as they ducked into another room. "We've tried to give him an education as well as we could: languages from Earth, reading, as much history as we can cram in, basic math...but it's hard from here. He's always been fascinated with the Stargate--in fact, he was playing with the guards, standing in front of the 'gate, when you sent that box of tissues. You can't imagine how excited he was."

"Yeah?" Jack said, quirking a smile as he pictured that. "So those...uh, 'gate guards..."

"The boys take shifts, all hours of the day," Claire explained. "It's just a precaution, but they take their job very seriously."

"I noticed," he said. Hammond's offhand remark about lifespans niggled at his brain. "I also noticed they're very...young."

Melburn grimaced. "Takes some getting used to, but children here come of age sooner than they would on Earth. Our Daniel spends time at the Stargate now mostly because he's friends with the guards, but even he'll be old enough to join one of the shifts by the next Solstice festival if he completes his rite of passage."

Jack couldn't help blurting, "You're not serious. You'd let him?" The first Abydos mission had been less than fifteen years ago--no way the kid was old enough for duty as a guard of anything.

Claire shrugged, looking unconcerned. "We can't really stop it. The boys guard that room voluntarily, so if our son wants to join when he's of age, well, who are we to say otherwise?"

"Besides," her husband added, "there's been no sign of activity in the past years, or even in the few months since we unburied it. If the Stargate program on Earth was shut down, it's not like we're expecting...um." He frowned at Jack. "Then again, since _you're_ here..."

"There's been...a bit more interest in the 'gate lately," Jack told him. "Everything runs much smoother nowadays Earthside. They've got computers that take care of dialing now, so..."

"Really?" Melburn said. "That must be fascinating to see."

Seizing on the statement, Jack told him, "See for yourself. They'd be happy to demonstrate it for you back on Earth."

'Happy' was perhaps not the right word, given the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and the Jacksons knew it. Claire's voice was just a little too casual when she said, "No, I think we'll pass on taking a trip back. We've got our family to think about now." Before he could try again with a more direct approach, she turned the tables and asked, "I remember you had a wife, isn't that right, Colonel? Any kids of your own?"

Jack's mind blanked for a moment. To recover, he looked around the room in feigned interest, then managed, "Not anymore." He turned back to see them exchanging another glance, so he fumbled for a topic and said, "I hope you taught those kids back there about gun safety," which, as it turned out, wasn't so much of a change in topic after all.

"Oh, of course," Melburn said, his tone saying that any idiot would have done the same. Jack smiled politely around clenched teeth. "There were lots of eager volunteers from the start--wanting to be like the great Jack O'Neill, no doubt--so we made sure to be careful. By the way..." Melburn paused to pull something out of a bag he was carrying.

"The people here are very grateful to you," Claire said, "and so are we, for letting us stay here when you left. But since the truth can't stay buried forever...well, we've kept journals."

Melburn handed him two notebooks--bound notebooks, from Earth, no doubt. "What's this?" Jack said.

"Records of the mission and some of what happened afterward," Melburn said. "If the truth about Abydos is out, now, maybe you should take these back to Earth with you. All the information we gathered is in there, including things you weren't present for during the mission. Of course, you'd be welcome to return to Abydos, as long as the people here aren't disturbed or harmed."

Jack tried to think of a polite way to say, ' _I'm taking you back with me if I have to drag you_.' "You sure you want to give these to me?" he said.

"We trust you, Colonel. No offense to the people you work for," Claire said delicately, "but last time the Stargate was opened, this place barely escaped being destroyed. You know better than we do what kind of information might cause a repeat of that."

Then he realized what they were really asking. They wanted him to use what information Earth needed, but not to let the wrong people get information that might harm Abydos. He decided that now was not the right time to tell them that Abydos had barely escaped another nuke sometime in the last seventy-two hours.

Well, what the heck. He'd lied in an official report before. This time, it would only be judicial editing, at the worst, and probably not even that. "I understand," he told them. He accepted the two notebooks--bound notebooks, from Earth, no doubt. "I'll make sure these are dealt with properly. You know, under the circumstances, I'm surprised you trust me that much."

Relief shone through their eyes. "Thank you," Melburn said earnestly. "After the way you helped these people, fighting on the ground with them--with _us_ \--instead of taking the easy way out with the bomb, I think we'd trust you with our first-born son. You're a good man, Colonel."

Jack cleared his throat. "Ah...right. Anyway, speaking of missions, we're not here just to take in the sights. Someone who looked like Ra came through our Stargate and attacked us, and we could use your help figuring out what's going on."

Claire winced. "I'm sorry to hear that...but what makes you think they came from here?"

...x...

**_10 October 1997; Nagada, Abydos; 1430 hrs_ **

"So there are other Stargates?" Captain Carter asked when they returned and filled her in. "I don't think that's possible."

"Why not?" Claire asked, her voice mild but with an edge of challenge. A burst of laughter interrupted them, and they turned in amusement to see Air Force officers sharing a joke with the Abydons, Daniel doing his best to chatter animatedly with all of them at once. Jack shook his head as Kawalsky choked on some drink to a renewed round of laughs and returned his attention to the conversation.

"Well, after you came here, to Abydos, people on Earth kept trying to reach other 'gates," Carter said. "We've tried literally hundreds of different permutations of the symbols, using Earth as the point of origin, and nothing's worked."

"We tried the same with a few of the addresses we found, and none of them worked," Melburn admitted, "but we think the Stargates at those destinations might have been buried or destroyed. That's why we unburied our 'gate in the first place, after our son wandered into that room and discovered all the cartouches. We're pretty sure they're all addresses--coordinates."

"I don't think so," Carter insisted, still skeptical.

"This Ra look-alike that came through your 'gate had to have come from somewhere," Melburn pointed out, "and we'd know if anything happened on our end."

"Okay," Carter conceded, "but I still don't see how..."

"Well, we're not astrophysicists," Claire put in, "but celestial objects aren't stationary, are they? The coordinates might have been right when they were recorded thousands of years ago, but..."

"Oh, of course!" Carter's back snapped straight, her eyes lighting up in excitement. "According to the expanding universe model...oh, geez--"

"--and accounting for the movement of stars through the galaxy--" Claire inserted smoothly, nodding.

"Right, right, then--"

"--then, the relative position of..." Melburn put in somewhere between the two of them.

Jack let his eyes widen, then glaze over as the three of them geeked out. He tuned back in when they stopped to take a breath, grinning happily at each other, which he took as his signal that a conclusion had been reached. "So," he said, "what did we just figure out?"

"Sir, we need to get those addresses down," Carter said.

"It'll take some long time to copy them all," Melburn warned them. "I mean, it's a big room."

"Not a problem," Carter assured him. "I'll just get footage of everything, and we can sort them out when we get back. Sir, permission to..."

"Yeah, sure," Jack said, waving his hand and pushing himself to his feet. "Come on, and bring your camera."

"Colonel, do you think you can find the place on your own?" Claire asked, her eyes flicking to her son, who was grinning at something Ferretti said. He then did a one-eighty and said something to one of the native women, who answered him while playfully flicking the hair from his eyes, eliciting a disgruntled _"Pari, Sha'uri."_

Convincing the Jacksons to return to Earth would take more effort than Jack had expected. Having kids changed things.

"Sure, I remember where it was," Jack said, pushing that objective aside for the moment. "Go on," he added when Daniel waved at her. "Carter, let's go. Kawalsky," he called, beckoning to his second-in-command.

The Jacksons beamed at him. Claire gave him a friendly pat on the arm, and then they joined the others.

Kawalsky's head came up, and he trotted over to join them. "What's up, sir?"

"There's a room filled with Stargate addresses," Jack told him.

He frowned. "You mean, _other_ Stargates?"

"That's right. Captain Carter's going to record the walls on video, and we're going to watch her back while she's at it."

Carter paused for a brief second as they started off. "Sir, with all due respect, I can take care of mysel--"

"This isn't about where your damn sex organs go, Captain," Jack cut her off, not in the mood to deal with the feminist chip on her shoulder. Carter flushed slightly at the reminder of her own words. "I need you to pay attention to what you're doing. The sooner you're done, the sooner we go home. If you want, Kawalsky can handle the camera and you can watch _his_ back."

"Yes, sir," Carter said. "And, no, sir, I'll handle it."

"But she's right, too, Colonel," Kawalsky said. "I don't think we need to worry about the Abydons doing anything to us."

"It's not the Abydons I'm worried about," Jack said. "At least some of the men still remember us, I think, but this is still unknown territory for now."

"Yes, sir," Kawalsky said. "Oh, wait 'til you hear this: you remember that little kid, Skaara, from when we were here before? He was, what, five? Running around everywhere and trying to get at the artillery and join in..."

"Kasuf's kid," Jack recalled.

"Yeah, well, he's in charge of the 'gate guards now."

Jack only remembered the boy as being constantly underfoot and fearlessly brave in the way only small children could be; it was surprisingly easy for him to reconcile that child with a young man who'd pointed a gun at them earlier that night. "I'm not surprised."

"Yes, sir. That kid had cojones, you gotta give him that," Kawalsky said.

"Hope he's got more sense than he had last time we met him," Jack said.

XXXXX

**_10 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 1900 hrs_ **

Recording the data was boring, but easy. Returning to base camp, though, was a different story.

Jack made his way through a blur of petrified and bleeding and dying and dead men and women in the 'gate room of the pyramid, trying--and likely failing--to cover his frustration as he slowly pieced together what had happened, until--

"Medic!" Kawalsky was already yelling by the time Jack ran through the ring into Stargate Command. "Get the medic!"

 _"Close the iris!"_ yelled another voice from behind the control room window.

"They're all through!"

_"Close the iris!"_

_"Wormhole disengaged!"_

A metallic sound made Jack turn around, and when he saw the unfamiliar shield, he said, "What the hell is that?" General Hammond came into view. "Sir," he added.

_"Get the gauze on him!"_

"Our insurance against more surprises," Hammond said distractedly, looking around himself in confusion. "What the hell happened, Colonel?"

_"...stop the bleeding from the..."_

Jack tore his gaze away from Major Ferretti's prone form and answered, "Base camp was hit while Carter, Kawalsky, and I were away on recon, sir. Ferretti was injured. The rest of our men...didn't make it. Some of the locals didn't, either."

"Same hostiles who attacked us?"

"That's a fair guess, sir. The Abydon boys thought it was Ra--had the glowy eyes."

Hammond looked around. "Where are the Jacksons?"

Jack's jaw tightened. "Sir...I regret to inform you that Claire and Melburn Jackson were killed in the attack. Their son Daniel was kidnapped by the aliens, along with two of the native Abydons."

Hammond stared at him, and for a moment Jack thought he was about to say, _You mean the way they were 'killed' the last time?_ But maybe the man could sense the truth in the statement this time, and he only said, "Take the night, Colonel, and get Major Ferretti to the infirmary. Meet me in the briefing room with the rest of your team first thing in the morning. I'm going to need to hear this."

"Yes, sir."

Jack remained standing, stiff and at attention, after the general had turned away. Kawalsky was hovering beside the medical staff working on Ferretti. Carter seemed unsure whether her attention should be on Kawalsky, Ferretti, or the general, and her wide eyes finally settled on Jack. Clenching his hands into fists, he called, "Carter, Kawalsky, debrief at 0900 tomorrow."

He should have stayed retired.

XXXXX

**_11 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs_ **

"We arrived on Abydos and were met by the 'gate guards," Jack said the next morning. "Melburn and Claire Jackson--"

"Wait a minute, Colonel," Hammond interrupted. "By 'the 'gate guards,' you mean--"

"Native Abydons," Jack clarified. "The Jacksons set up a round-the-clock watch on the Stargate after they unburied it."

The general folded his hands on the table. "So they did unbury the 'gate. Anyone who knew how to use it could have come through."

"Yes, sir, but because of the guards, they were certain that the aliens who attacked us here did _not_ come from the Abydos Stargate."

"And we're taking their word for it."

Jack bit down on the urge to say that the Abydonian people hadn't ever lied to them before, while the US Air Force couldn't claim the reverse was true. "I saw the looks on their faces after they were attacked, sir," Jack said. "I don't think they'd ever seen anything like it, either."

Hammond looked like he was willing to be swayed, but despite Jack's impatience, he understood the need to be absolutely sure, too. "I would have thought they'd seen something a lot like it before, under Ra," Hammond said.

"No, sir," Jack said. "Not necessarily. The 'gate guards are mostly teenaged boys--too young to remember much more than campfire stories about Ra."

"Besides," Kawalsky said, "the guys who attacked Abydos went _somewhere_ through that 'gate. We know that for sure, and they didn't end up here."

Hammond's eyebrows shot up. "You're saying the Stargate isn't just two-way?"

"That's what the Jacksons think--thought, sir," Carter said. "They found a whole room filled with Stargate addresses, probably going all over the galaxy. Those aliens could have come from anywhere. Even if it wasn't Ra, it could have been someone related to him."

"His cousin Ray?" Kawalsky quipped.

"The same species," she retorted. "The reports from the Abydos mission said that Ra took over a human host. He sounds like some sort of parasite, and for all we know, there could be a whole race of them."

"The question I'm interested in now is where they went," Hammond said, "and whether we can stop them from coming _here_."

"They left through the Stargate before we got back," Jack said, "but we think Ferretti might have seen the symbols."

"What about the Abydonian people? Could one of them have seen?"

"I don't think so, sir," he answered. "From what we understood, Ferretti must have been the only one close enough to see and badly enough injured that the aliens either didn't bother with him. "

"From what you understood, Colonel?" Hammond repeated.

Jack grimaced. "I only speak a couple of words of the language. A few of them spoke enough English for us to communicate, but they were shaken up. And without the Jacksons or their son, we didn't have anyone to interpret."

It felt cheap to say, as if he only wished the archeologists hadn't died because they needed a translator. The image of Claire Jackson's eyes, glazed over in death, and Melburn's still body... He hoped their son hadn't seen it happen. No, wait--he hoped the son wasn't _dead_.

"And their son," Hammond said, as if reading his mind. "He was taken by the aliens?"

"Yes, sir. I got that much out of them. Daniel Jackson and the two children of their leader." Skaara and the daughter whose name he'd never learned.

"And the Abydos Stargate? Is there a chance of going back if we do find another interpreter?"

Jack grimaced. "I told them to bury the 'gate, sir."

Hammond was quiet for a moment. "So we won't be able to get back through if we need it."

"The point was that _no one_ could get through it to their side, since they have no way to defend themselves. But...they said they'd open it again for us, in exactly one year, in the hope that we'll find their people. If we don't send a message through then, they'll bury it forever."

"I see," Hammond said noncommittally. "So they think we're going to look for their people."

"General, if Ferretti remembers those symbols, we can go find them," Jack said. Abydos wasn't their home, but it still felt wrong to leave the captured kids to their own devices, and if the Jackson boy was still alive, they owed it to his parents to bring him home safe. Not to mention Sergeant Weterings, who'd been taken from Earth in the first attack--they could bring her back, too.

_("...trust you with our first-born son.")_

Jack really wished they'd rephrased that.

"I'm not without sympathy for the people who were captured," Hammond said, "but I'm not sure it would be wise to open ourselves to attack. The people on Abydos are closing their 'gate, and I have half a mind to look for a way to destroy the Stargate on our side."

"With...all due respect, sir," Carter said, "we can't bury our heads in the sand. Think of what we could learn! These civilizations are obviously much more advanced than we are..."

"And they have ships," Jack added. "They found out fifteen years ago that we could be a threat to them, and now they know where we're from. If they can't get through the Stargate, they'll come in ships."

"Well, fortunately for you," Hammond said, including Jack and Carter both in his gaze, "the President happens to agree. We will be forming nine teams to perform reconnaissance, identify threats, and, if possible, make peaceful contact with the inhabitants of the worlds we find. Obviously, our first priority is to deal with the current situation. Colonel, if you had to defend yourself from these hostiles in the field, could you do it?"

Jack shrugged. "We beat him once--or someone a heckuva lot like him."

"I'll take that as a 'maybe,'" Hammond said dryly. "Captain Carter, you're confident the new coordinates will work?"

"It'll take time, but yes, we should have two or three viable revised addresses a month," she said.

"Good. Colonel O'Neill..."

"Sir?" Jack said.

"You will lead the team designated SG-1," the general said. "The team will consist of you, Captain Carter, and at least two other officers to be assigned after this mission. Major Kawalsky, you will lead Captains Casey and Warren on SG-2."

Kawalsky looked up, surprised. "I will? I mean, yes, sir."

"For this mission, you will both proceed to the location that Major Ferretti identifies, if he can," Hammond went on. "This is reconnaissance. Liberate the captives if possible, and if you meet the hostiles in battle, attempt to eliminate them, but your primary task is to assess the threat."

"Sir?" Heads turned as Major Samuels stood, a note in his hand. "Ferretti's awake. It looks like he remembers the symbols."

Jack was out of the room while Carter was still saying, "Then we can go as soon as I've adjusted the coordinates for..."

XXXXX

**_12 October 1997; Chulak; 1600 hrs_ **

They wasted nearly half of their allotted twenty-four hours trying to sneak around the new planet. As it turned out, accidentally stumbling into a patrol of people who didn't speak any language they recognized had turned out to be the quickest way to get anywhere.

"Um," Carter said once the two of them had been thrown into a dungeon full of people. "I think we found the captives, sir."

"Well, that didn't take long," Jack tossed back, picking himself off the ground. Unfortunately, they hadn't recognized any language that anyone else was speaking, which could be a little problem, since it also didn't look like anyone wanted to let them out.

"On the bright side..." Carter started.

"...we did find them," he conceded, looking around at the other prisoners, huddled in varying states of fear and confusion. "In a manner of speaking."

"I was going to say they haven't killed us, sir."

"That too," he allowed, turning and feeling her match his movements until they stood nearly back-to-back, eyes scanning the space around them.

"Although what worries me more is _why_ they didn't kill us," she went on matter-of-factly, "and that we have no way of communicating around here. Or of getting out before Major Kawalsky and the rest have to dial back home, which will happen in...less than eight hours."

Jack broke off his survey of the room to scowl at her. "You're a pessimistic sort of person, aren't you, Carter?"

"No, sir, I don't think so, though it seems appropriate at the moment. But on the bright side..."

"How 'bout we leave the bright sides alone for now, Captain," he said.

"Yes, si--"

"Hello?" a voice called. They both spun around to see someone stop short at their sudden movement. Bright blue eyes blinked out at them, and soon, normally light hair dulled by dirt and grime followed out of the shadows. "H-hello? Are you...um, from Earth?"

Carter bent forward in the dim light. "Daniel? Daniel Jackson! Is that you?"

The boy froze, then came out further. "Captain-Doctor? And O'Neill--um...Colonel."

"Yeah, kid," Jack said, recognizing the not-quite-believing expression he'd seen on Melburn Jackson's face in the past, the wondering tilt of the head that came from Claire. He mouthed ' _Captain-Doctor?'_ at Carter, who flushed a little, then said, "It's us. O'Neill and Carter. We've been looking for you."

Still almost completely unmoving where he was, Daniel's gaze darted around the room. "How did they catch you?" he said nervously. "You weren't there when they came for us in Nagada."

"We came here looking for you," Jack told him. "We're here to rescue you."

Daniel seemed to think that was pretty lame, because he straightened slightly from where he'd been crouching on the ground, looking thoroughly unimpressed. His eyes flicked briefly to the barred entrance sealing them all in here. "Oh," he said. "Well...good."

"I'm working on it," Jack said defensively.

Daniel blinked at him. "Colonel O'Neill," he said carefully, hesitantly, "did you see--are my parents with you? I saw, in Nagada, they...they...but they're...? Are they?"

Jack felt his jaw trying to clench and forced himself to relax enough to say, "No, Daniel. I'm sorry. Your parents...didn't make it." Daniel flinched like he'd been hit and took a step back. Jack winced and started to approach, bending lower. "Listen, we--"

" _Na nay!_ " Daniel growled, wrapping his arms around himself as if cold but glaring at him. " _Nutei soi!_ Go away!"

"Daniel--" Jack started again, reaching out to...well, something. Pat the kid on the head, maybe.

"Stop!" Another boy--in his upper teens, maybe early twenties--appeared suddenly in front of Daniel like a shield, and Jack stepped back, startled. His coloring was darker, like a native Abydon's, and his accent bled through more thickly. "You will stay away," the boy ordered fiercely. " _Rhe'u!"_

Jack looked up to exchange a look with Carter, then turned back. "You're one of the ones who were taken on Abydos," he said, vaguely remembering the face now. "Skaara, right? Kasuf's son? You were guarding the Stargate. The, uh...the..."

"The cha-pai," Carter put in, sounding out the foreign word carefully.

"We're not trying to hurt you, or Daniel," Jack assured Skaara. "We came here when we found out you were taken by...the guy who looked like Ra. Glowy-eyes guy."

Skaara's eyes remained narrowed in suspicion, but he only glanced back and said, "Dan'yel? _Mi'la tu'tu_?"

Daniel broke off his glare and mumbled something back. Skaara dropped a brotherly hand onto Daniel's shoulder, then turned Jack again. "You are O'Neill?" Skaara asked. Jack nodded. "Claire and Mel say you helped them," he continued. "We all hear stories of how you killed Ra."

"That's right," Jack said. "Claire and, uh, Mel and I...we helped kill Ra."

"Then it is true?" Skaara pressed. "We saw them fall at the _chaapa'ai_ , but we did not believe."

Jack hesitated slightly, then said simply, "You saw right." He looked past Skaara to Daniel, who had uncurled himself. His face was dry and his expression seemed to be closer to shock than grief, but Jack knew all too well that would come later, when there wasn't so much effort spent on being tired and scared.

Before he could think of something to say, however, Daniel dropped to sit on the ground and muttered, "Sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry about," Jack answered automatically, a little taken aback by the change in mood.

"I was rude," he argued stubbornly.

"Hey, I'm ruder than that on my best days." Jack paused, then asked, "Okay?"

Daniel didn't answer, but he looked up at Skaara, then said to Jack and Carter, who'd dropped into a crouch next to him, "They...they took away Sha'uri."

Jack spent a moment trying to remember if that was a word he knew before realizing it was a name.

"My elder sister," Skaara said, rage and of terror both clear on his face. "She was like a sister to Claire also. And to Dan'yel."

"They...they took her?" Jack asked. "Who? Do you recognize them?"

"It was Ra." Skaara's voice was hushed, the way children told ghost stories at night. "I remember him, from many years ago. His eyes had light."

"Light," Carter repeated. "So either Ra isn't dead, after all, or..."

"It was _not_ Ra," Daniel said, finally meeting Jack's eyes again. "It was Apep. I think I heard them call him Apophis here."

Jack was starting to wonder if maybe this kid was speaking another language after all. "It was _who_?"

"Another false god--it must be he," Daniel said authoritatively. "I've read some of my pa...some of the books from Earth, with the myths of the gods. Ra ruled the day; Apophis the serpent ruled the darkness. The Jaffa here wear his mark." When Jack stared blankly at him, he explained impatiently, "The men who guard us. Them call themselves 'Jaffa,' and they wear a mark that represents Apophis."

"You mean the little snake doohickey they've all got on their foreheads?" Jack said, peering more closely at one of the guards near the entrance.

"The...the what?" Daniel said. Apparently, his English didn't extend to words like 'doohickey.'

"Never mind," Jack said. "I get the picture."

"We will save Sha'uri?" Skaara asked. He'd dropped his defensive stance and looked for all the world like a young soldier waiting for orders, hoping--trusting--that his CO would pull some brilliant solution out of his ass. Unfortunately, this time...

"I can't promise you anything at the moment," Jack said frankly. They had no idea whether or not the woman was even still alive.

"But you are great warrior," the boy insisted. "I hear--"

"--stories, yeah, I got that. Listen, Skaara, I want to save your sister, too, but first we have to find a way out of here. We'll try, but we have to save who we can." He tilted his head significantly toward Daniel, feeling a little guilty for using the Abydon's obvious protectiveness against him, but it was a preferable alternative to letting everyone get killed. They were on a time limit, too--Kawalsky's team would leave soon...at least, if the man followed his orders.

Sure enough, Skaara threw another longing glance toward the guarded exit, but nodded. "I understand, O'Neill."

"Good man," Jack said, sizing up his new recruit. When Skaara straightened just a little bit at the praise, he made sure to continue in the same, hearty tone, "So, Danny--"

"Daniel," the boy said sharply.

Jack paused. So this boy wasn't going to be mollified with enthusiasm. Fine. No one strategy could fit all. "Daniel," he amended, keeping his voice calm. "We might need your help, okay?"

Carter shifted next to him, looking doubtfully at the boy.

"There are a lot of people in here," Jack continued. He'd relied on kids little older than Daniel to fight a war before, when was no other choice. They'd have time to coddle if-- _when_ \--they got out of this place. A dungeon was _not_ the place for a breakdown. If Daniel was anything like his parents, the one thing that could keep him focused was to have a task to do, and besides, it might actually prove helpful. "You speak a few languages, right?"

Daniel squinted uncertainly at him. "About twelve. Or maybe nine or ten, depending on whether you count related dialects, and I cannot claim to be completely fluent in--"

"Okay, that's...right, fine," Jack interrupted hastily. _Twelve_? Geez. "Well, if we're going to get out, we'll need every person in here to move it, exactly when we say to move. No hesitation. Can you speak the same language as other people in here?"

"I...I don't know; I haven't met everyone. But I think...mostly it's the Jaffa's language, and I figured out a few words. Some of them speak something similar to Abydonian dialects. There was no English that I heard, but--"

"Good," Jack cut in again. Get the kid started, and he'd probably never shut up. Then he realized that no English-speakers meant their kidnapped sergeant probably wasn't here anymore. That thought wasn't helpful. He pushed it aside for now. "Now--"

Then the sound of grinding metal caught his attention, and he jumped to his feet. A ripple seemed to move through the room as some of the captives sprang upright and others shuffled away. Those Jaffa guards with the black snake tattoos on their heads were coming in.

And if it hadn't been bad enough as it was, the one in front had a gold mark and was, no question, a very large man, especially with the thick armor he wore. It was not a comforting sight.

"That's the guy in charge?" Jack asked quietly.

"In charge of the Jaffa, I think," Daniel said, already standing as well, his body screaming tension. When Jack glanced at him, he clarified, "He is not in charge of Apophis."

" _Shaka ha_!" the man shouted suddenly, making Jack tense in anticipation. " _Kree hol mel Goa'uld_!"

"You know what he's saying?" Jack murmured.

It was Skaara who answered, "They are going to choose who will become the children of the gods."

Oh. Well, _that_ explained everything. "What does that mean?" Jack said.

The guard's eyes found their small group, as if he'd heard them whispering, and he ground out, " _Ya wan ya daru!_ Show respect to your masters!"

As if the words were a cue, a young-looking man--though Jack knew enough not to trust appearances--appeared at the entrance, flanked by more of his guards. A woman, wearing a veil over her face, stood beside him.

"That's Apophis," Daniel murmured.

When Apophis spoke, the voice still threw him, even though he should have been expecting it after having met Ra. The overlaid tones, deeper than it should have been out of the man that stood there, unnatural in a way that screamed _wrong wrong wrong_ , were enough to make his skin crawl.

Apophis rumbled out something Jack didn't understand, then repeated it again, in another language, until finally, in English, "Behold...your queen!"

The woman lifted her veil and swept her gaze over the crowd, pride and confidence shining clearly through the regal bearing and the Abydonian features.

"Sha'uri," Skaara's voice whispered from behind, and then he was pushing past. Daniel moved to follow, and Jack barely had time to catch his wiry arms, pulling him back even as he struggled to free himself from Jack's grip. "Sha'uri!" Skaara repeated, louder, echoed by Daniel's voice.

"Daniel, Skaara," Jack warned.

"They're parasites, sir," Carter said softly, urgently, at his side. "She could be infected."

Neither of the boys paid any attention, and Skaara shouted again, "Sha'uri!" The woman turned a cold gaze onto their group.

Her eyes flashed.

Daniel froze in Jack's grip. Skaara stopped, too, and took an uncertain step back, just before his sister raised a hand encased in a metallic device, and he _flew_ back to land in a sprawled heap on the ground.

'Infected-by-alien-parasite' was starting to look like a strong possibility.

"Skaara?" Daniel said, horrified, then whipped his head toward the man standing before them. "Apophis!" he shouted.

"Holy crap, kid, shut _up_ ," Jack hissed, trying unsuccessfully to clamp a hand over the boy's mouth.

" _Na nay!_ " Daniel snarled. "False god! _Ne way na ga we!_ "

The Jaffa with the gold brand twitched, and Jack glanced in his direction, tightening his grip on Daniel's arms. The Jaffa was looking at Daniel with an odd expression stealing over his otherwise impassive face. For a brief instant, his eyes met Jack's over Daniel's head.

It didn't last long, though. The Jaffa's gaze hardened, and he took a few steps toward them. Daniel stilled, as if unsure whether to pull away or shrink back. Jack instinctively straightened and started to push the boy behind himself when the Jaffa reached out and grabbed Jack's wrist, his deep voice barking out a question they couldn't understand.

"Uh, sorry," Jack said, not sorry at all, except that he wanted his arm back. "I'm new here."

"What is this?" the other growled, in English this time. "This is not Goa'uld technology."

"Nope," Jack agreed, still not sure what 'Goa'uld' meant. "It's a watch."

"Where are you from?" the Jaffa persisted.

"Earth," Jack said, then shrugged. "Well, Chicago, if you wanna be specific..."

"Your words mean nothing!" the guard said, dropping Jack's wrist. "You will kneel to your god!"

That woke Daniel, who said defiantly, "We will not be slaves to a false god."

"Dan'yel," Skaara said, stumbling to his feet again and clamping a hand on the boy's arm. Jack had just begun to hope that maybe Skaara would be able to shut the kid up when Skaara leaned forward and spat at the guard.

Jack wanted to slap a hand over his eyes. Maybe there was something in the air on Abydos that made the kids stupid. They had spirit, okay, but still. _Stupid_.

Then Apophis came forward, Sha'uri trailing behind him with that disturbing smirk on her otherwise flawless face. "They are passionate," he said, his voice distorted. "Worthy to be hosts to our heirs."

"They are too young," the alien wearing Sha'uri's body said. Skaara recoiled upon hearing her voice, and Daniel shuddered. "Too weak. A warrior must be strong."

"Perhaps," Apophis acknowledged, considering, then hooked a hand under Skaara's chin. "But this one is old enough. Perfect. A fine specimen."

"Hey!" Jack snapped. "Get your hands--"

Stars exploded in his vision as someone's fist slammed into the side of his head. As he rose dizzily again, he heard, "We choose him."

" _Na nay!_ "

Jack pulled his eyes open and found Skaara's wide eyes on him as he struggled fiercely against the guards dragging him away.

"Skaara!" Daniel screamed. Carter lunged for him and pinned his arms against his body as he started forward. " _Skaara_!"

"Dan'yel!" Skaara cried. "O'Neill! Dan'yel! _Na nay...Na nay!_ "

"Dammit," Jack spat. "Skaara! Let go of him! Skaara!"

But more arms blocked his path, until he was left with only the sneering face of Apophis. Skaara's voice was fading as he disappeared out of sight. Apophis turned to the Jaffa and ordered, "Kill the rest."

Then he whirled and left, the door slamming shut behind him and his queen.

The familiar sound of a priming staff weapon-- _many_ priming staff weapons--made Jack jerk around to face the line of guards who stood before them.

Another staff weapon activated, and Jack found himself staring into the eyes of the Jaffa leader. A choking sound came from a few feet away, where Daniel, wide-eyed and trembling next to Carter, was still looking in the direction Skaara had been taken. The head Jaffa's gaze flicked for a moment toward the shocked boy, pausing.

And Jack made his decision. "I can save these people!" he shouted, not backing away when the weapon swung toward him. "Help me!" A flash of hope darted across the man's face, and Jack erased all trace of desperation from his voice as he repeated firmly, "Help me."

The Jaffa's eyes narrowed. "Many have said that," he replied bitterly, and Jack felt his heart sink.

Then the Jaffa whirled and blasted his own man off his feet. He tossed the staff weapon toward Jack, who caught it with a fierce surge of adrenaline as the Jaffa roared, "But you are the first I believe could do it!"

Chaos broke out as the guards were still for a few seconds, confusion making them hesitate. By then, their leader had moved back to crouch side by side with Jack, and the two of them had taken out half of the line before having to start dodging return fire.

A small voice rose over the captives' shouts. " _Bradio, bradio!_ "

Ducking a streaking flash of energy, Jack turned and saw the prisoners scrambling into corners and hiding where they could. Daniel was at the back of the room with Carter, yelling at people as he and Carter shepherded them behind what little cover there was. His voice was cut off for a moment as she yanked him to the ground, just barely ducking a stray staff blast. When Jack looked back, the Jaffa at his side let loose a final blast, and the last of the hostiles dropped--dead or incapacitated, he wasn't sure and didn't really care--and they were done.

Fixing his attention at the back wall, Jack yelled, "Get down! Get out of the way!" It didn't matter what language he spoke, he figured, since the people still alive hugged their walls tighter at the sight of a man screaming at them and pointing a staff weapon.

One blast, two...and they were free. Almost.

Carter was the first one on her feet and scrambled to take position outside the small hole in the wall. Daniel scampered after her but stationed himself inside the dungeon, still shouting, " _Bradio! Re!_ " Slowly, then in a rush, the prisoners peeled themselves away and fled toward freedom.

Something strangely like pride rose at the sight, but then the last of the prisoners threw himself out of the room and there was no time for anything else but escape.

"Carter, go!" Jack ordered. "Take 'em to the Stargate!"

"Yes, sir!" she answered, already running out of sight.

"Daniel, stay with her!" Daniel didn't move, his gaze fixed on the unmoving form of a captive who'd been too slow to escape a stray staff blast. "Daniel Jackson!" Jack shouted. The boy's eyes snapped to him. "Follow Captain Carter! Don't get separated!"

Jack watched him nod jerkily and stumble out, then ducked to fit through the hole himself. He paused when he realized he could no longer feel the Jaffa's presence beside him. "Hey, c'mon!" he called when the man stood his place, staring about himself at the destruction.

The Jaffa met his eyes again, all expression erased. "I have nowhere to go," he intoned flatly.

"For this," Jack replied, beckoning impatiently, "you can stay at _my_ place. Let's _go_!"

The man tilted his head, as if considering, assessing, then made an odd motion, almost like a bow, before following Jack through the wall.

"What's your name?" Jack asked.

The Jaffa glanced at him, then, back into the distance. "Teal'c."

"Teal'c, where will they take Skaara and Sha'uri--the hosts?"

Hefting his weapon, the man started off, Jack trotting beside him. "To the _chaapa'ai_. The Stargate."

Jack picked up their pace. "Guess we're all going the same way, then."


	2. Stargate Command

**_13 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 0130 hrs_ **

Sam Carter tumbled through the Stargate to the cacophony of alarms and yelling. The security team was stationed at the foot of the ramp, as expected, and she pushed herself quickly to her feet, raising her hands.

"Hold your fire! There are a lot more coming through, sir!" she called, spotting General Hammond through the control room window. "They're refugees-- _hold your fire_!" she repeated urgently as the first two people stumbled through behind her and the security team's guns held steady.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Captain," the general said in warning as he entered the embarkation room.

 _So do I_ , Sam thought apprehensively, watching aliens step through a stone circle into the underground base.

And she'd thought her life was weird when they'd pulled her in for research on using Stargates for time travel.

No time for that now. Another group of people fell through, and Sam quickly moved to pull them forward, away from the wormhole, to make room for the rest. _Eleven_ , she counted as four more staggered through, _twelve, thirteen, fourteen_...

Then she stopped, because she didn't actually know how many there had been to begin with, or how many were left after their run through the forest and the firefight at the 'gate. Counting was a way to take comfort in familiar numbers, not really a practical exercise.

The trickle of people gradually slowed before the entrance of the Jaffa--he'd introduced himself to the colonel as something that sounded like Teal--still dressed in full armor and carrying his staff weapon. Clattering sounds at the base of the ramp made Sam whirl and call, "Whoa! Don't shoot, _don't shoot_! He's with us!"

Seeing that the security team wasn't about to let up any time soon, she walked deliberately toward the admittedly formidable-looking warrior, who spotted her immediately and bowed, handing the staff weapon off to her with a quiet but stiff, "Captain Carter."

She awkwardly accepted and hefted the weapon... _wow_. It looked lighter than it was, but still, for something that emitted so much energy, she would have thought it would at least have some massive power source, and some form of insulation...and what _was_ the power source, anyway? She wondered what the Jaffa would say if she asked to take it apart and study it, since they hadn't let her touch the ones sitting around in the labs, and really, what use was it to have things sitting around in a lab if they weren't going to do research on them?

But later. Research later. Now...

"Are they behind you?" she asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

"Indeed," the Jaffa answered emotionlessly. "We should relocate, Captain Carter. O'Neill and the others will follow shortly."

"Yes, of course," she agreed, a little unsettled by...well, _him_ , in general, as she led the way down the ramp. Maybe it was a cultural thing. It was too bad they didn't have any anthropologists working at the SGC at the moment-- _or translators_ , she thought, remembering how frustrating it had been to blunder around an alien world without a clue what anyone was saying. If it hadn't been for accidentally meeting up with Daniel and Skaara...

Where was the boy, anyway? They'd gotten separated early on, but surely he should have made it through by now...

Suddenly, a bolt of energy shot through the 'gate, and she ducked, flinging herself over the railing as the security team tensed. A man came through next--Kawalsky, it looked like, followed by the rest of the team, one of them being half-dragged out.

Finally, Colonel O'Neill all but rolled through the wormhole, clutching someone in his arms and yelling, "Get down! Close the iris! Lock it up _now_!"

"Close the iris!" Hammond ordered.

A final staff blast made it through the closing hole, sizzling on the concrete wall, before the titanium shield finally formed fully. A series of thumps sounded against the iris, and Sam winced, imagining what--or, more likely, _who_ \--had just splattered against their shield.

Well, not _splattered_ , exactly, since they wouldn't have rematerialized yet, so it was more of a...

No. Not now. Think about that later.

The wormhole disengaged, and complete silence reigned for a few seconds. Then Colonel O'Neill, still sprawled nearly flat on the ramp, lifted his head and called, "Everyone all right?"

At the same time, Kawalsky suddenly yelled, "Medic! I got a man down here!"

The colonel was getting to his feet, and now Sam saw Daniel Jackson's figure, sitting just where the colonel had released him after coming through. A medical team rushed into the room and past her to the downed Captain Casey. "Colonel," Sam said, deciding from the way he was standing that he was likely uninjured. She nodded to Daniel. "Is he okay?"

Daniel didn't move from his position, so she dropped to one knee beside him. "Daniel," Colonel O'Neill hissed, sounding furious, "what part of 'follow Captain Carter' didn't you understand?" When no answer, came, he frowned and started to bend down to take a closer look. "Daniel?"

General Hammond's voice had them both whipping their heads around. "Colonel O'Neill, care to explain?"

Sam looked up into the colonel's face. "Sir, I've got him," she assured him. O'Neill glanced again at Daniel, then nodded back at her and stepped down to brief the general.

"Daniel?" Sam said, touching the back of her hand to his face. His skin was freezing, and he was shivering violently--she could feel thawing frost on his cheeks and was reminded that 'gate travel was disorienting the first few times, especially to someone more than likely in shock, and dressed only in a ragged tunic suited for desert heat, besides. "Are you hurt?" she asked gently.

Daniel lifted his head to face her, his eyes darting nervously around the unfamiliar embarkation room, then shook his head 'no.' He didn't uncurl himself, though, and was still shaking. In the safety of the base, now, exhaustion was plain in his expression.

"Come on, let's get you to the infirmary with everyone else," she urged, tugging gently on his arm. He let himself be pulled halfway to his feet, almost docile, so she was surprised when he suddenly jerked away, stumbling unsteadily past the flustered security team at the bottom of the ramp and looking around at the heavily guarded exits. "It's okay, you're safe here--"

"Where is this?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

Colonel O'Neill--finished reporting to the general or torn away by the commotion, Sam wasn't sure--took two slow, even steps toward the boy, who flinched and tripped on the edge of the ramp, edging away.

"Daniel, this is Stargate Command, our base," the colonel said, his tone something Sam didn't really recognize. Not his casual tone, which he used more often than he strictly should, but not his sharper commanding one, either. It was more the way one might talk to a scared animal. Daniel had sunk back to the ground and was pressed against the side of the ramp. Sam hesitated a few feet away, wanting to do something but unsure of whether she should stay away to avoid crowding him. She took a step closer but stayed there, hovering uncertainly.

Daniel took a quick look around the room and fixed his stare on General Hammond, instantly identifying him as the man in charge. _'Was it the clothing?_ ' Sam wondered, distantly interested; Hammond was the only one not in BDUs, but then, she hadn't been able to tell at first glance which Abydonian robes were casual and which denoted some sort of rank. _'Or body language?'_ The boy was the son of two renowned anthropologists, after all.

"What are you going to do with us?" Daniel asked Hammond.

"No one's gonna do anything to anyone," O'Neill said firmly, drawing Daniel's attention back. "We'll make sure everyone's not hurt, and then help them get home. You need to go get checked out, too. It's a rule."

"They have guns," the boy insisted. Sam followed his gaze to the security team, who still seemed to be partially on alert. "I _know_ what guns are."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," O'Neill muttered, then barked, "Put the guns down. There are no hostiles here, and you're scarin' the kid."

"I am _not_ a kid," Daniel protested immediately, though he inched closer to O'Neill and visibly relaxed once the weapons were lowered. Hammond said something quietly to Major Samuels, who looked unhappy but nodded and began attempting to round up the nonessential personnel, who were dealing with similar situations with the other frightened and bewildered refugees.

"It's like how Skaara and...and the others guarded the Stargate on Abydos," the colonel explained. "We keep a guard around here, too, that's all, in case something bad tries to come through. But no one's gonna hurt you--you're home, now."

Daniel's eyebrows shot upward. "Home? But..." He trailed off, and then, in a small voice, "You mean Earth."

Colonel O'Neill set a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "That's right. This is where your parents were from. They stood in this exact room once."

Daniel looked down and ran a cautious hand over the metal of the ramp. "Not Abydos? And what about Skaara and Sha'uri?"

Sam stepped in to say, "Right now, this is the safest place for you." She didn't mention that going back to Abydos now wasn't even physically possible, and that when they'd told him 'home' while escaping Chulak, they'd meant 'Earth.' "We'll take good care of you here, okay?"

The shivering restarted, and this time the colonel wrapped a single arm around Daniel's shoulders. "C'mon. You're exhausted. We'll talk later."

Daniel didn't unwrap his own arms from around himself, but he didn't shrug out of the colonel's grasp, either. A few seconds later, Daniel was on his feet, looking half-asleep and swaying against the colonel. General Hammond's expression was cycling between concerned, impatient, and confused.

"I'll take these people to the infirmary, sir," was all the colonel said, before nodding to the general, pulling Daniel with him out of the embarkation room and toward the infirmary among the crowd of other military personnel and the people from Chulak.

Sam looked nervously back at the general, who glared at her and asked, "Captain?"

"That's, uh... That was Daniel Jackson, sir," she said. "All of the people here are a little disoriented. They've been in a dungeon for a couple of days, at least."

"Yes, I managed to pick that up," the general said dryly. "Report to the infirmary for your post-mission checkup, and tell the colonel and Major Kawalsky I want to see you all in the briefing room at 0900 tomorrow--rather, later today. You have a lot of explaining to do." His eyes drifted up the ramp, where, Sam realized with a start, the Jaffa warrior was still standing. For such an imposing man, he could be incredibly quiet.

"Yes, sir," she said, moving to stand beside their alien ally, although she knew how useless her show of protection would be if someone starting firing on him. Still, he'd helped them escape--a show of solidarity was the least she could do. "General, this is the man who saved our lives."

The general's eyes narrowed, still filled with suspicion. "Like I said, Captain. A _lot_ of explaining."

XXXXX

**_13 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs_ **

To General Hammond's credit, Jack thought, the first thing he said when he walked into the briefing room was not a question or accusation about the hostiles or mission objectives or even security. "How's the Jackson boy?" Hammond asked.

"Out like a light, sir," Jack answered. "The doc said he'll probably keep sleeping for a while." Captain Carter and Charlie Kawalsky were already at the table, so he took a seat by Carter.

"And our other...guests?"

"No serious injuries. They've all been sent back to their homes; those who didn't know their planets' addresses were sent with someone who did. Except Daniel Jackson, obviously, who's from Abydos, and Teal'c, who...won't be going back."

"Yes--I've spoken briefly with Teal'c," Hammond said, and questions about security were back on the table. "About him..."

Jack held up a finger. "General, I know what you're going to say, but I would trust him with my life. And with the lives of my team," he added, which they both knew ultimately meant more. "I wouldn't say that lightly."

"That's all very well, Colonel," Hammond said, frowning. "But you'll understand that I can't afford to place trust in him like that."

"Sir," Jack pushed, "he saved all our lives."

"He switched sides," Hammond countered, "all of two minutes after seeing you for the first time. He's carrying around the infant of a hostile alien in his gut. I've seen what his kind can do."

"His _kind_ , sir?"

"Yes, Colonel, his kind! Even if he does mean well, his circumstances do not exactly inspire confidence in his allegiances."

"Well, then," Jack said, "I guess you're not going to grant my request that he join SG-1."

Hammond pressed his lips together. "You're damn right about that."

Jack leaned forward in his seat. "Sir, just give him a chance."

"For all I know, Teal'c could be an asset to our side. But even if I were willing to 'give him a chance,' it's not entirely in my hands."

"Meaning...what, exactly?" Jack asked warily.

"Meaning the Pentagon would like to ask him some questions," Hammond said. "Possibly run a few tests."

 _Hell, no._ "With all due respect, sir," Jack said, forcibly keeping his voice calm, "Teal'c did not risk his life to save us-- _and_ all those people back there--so he could come here and be some kind of damn guinea pig for the US military."

"Colonel Kennedy is already en route from the Pentagon." Hammond's expression remained firm. "I promise you, Colonel, that Teal'c will be treated with dignity and respect as long as he remains a guest of this facility. Beyond that, I can't promise a thing."

Jack clenched his fists under the table but dropped the challenging gaze. "Yes, sir." Someone shifted uncomfortably in the seat next to his, and he turned slightly to see Sam Carter looking down at the table, her lips pursed and the set of her shoulders broadcasting her displeasure. Well, at least someone agreed with him. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, scientist or not. Kawalsky only looked a bit uneasy with the situation, but then, he hadn't been there when Teal'c had turned.

"In the meantime," Hammond was saying, "we need to talk about one of our guests in the infirmary." He paused. "I think it would be wise to assume," he went on carefully, "that Daniel Jackson could, technically, also be considered an alien. With Colonel Kennedy coming here..."

Jack had leapt to his feet before he could fully register his action. "No way! You're not going to let the Pentagon screw around with a kid!"

"Sit down, Colonel!" Hammond snapped. "And you, Captain."

Jack sat and turned, surprised to see Carter standing. She sank immediately back into her chair but spoke quickly, "General, please. If nothing else, his parents were national heroes of...of _historical_ importance. We owe it to them not to let their son be subjected to interrogation or worse, right after he lost his home."

"Captain Carter!" Hammond glared at them. "If you two would let me finish..." Carter's ears turned red. Jack had been retired until a week ago and didn't bother pretending to be repentant. "I agree wholeheartedly with you. I was going to say that the Pentagon is aware that the son of Drs. Claire and Melburn Jackson is currently on this base. They also know he is human and, biologically, from Earth. They have no particular interest in him at this time."

Carter let out a quiet sigh of relief, though her blush hadn't yet faded, and Kawalsky nodded in approval. "Fine by me, sir," Jack said, "though I'd suggest that he be kept out of the way while they're here, so they don't _gain_ any particular interest in him."

"That seems like a good idea, Colonel," Hammond agreed immediately. Jack's opinion of him went up a small notch. "The very fact that he's not from this planet would be enough reason for certain people to want to use or question him."

"So, General," Kawalsky spoke up for the first time, "what _are_ we gonna do with him?"

"He's already asked to go back to Abydos," Carter spoke up. "I don't think anyone's told him yet that their Stargate's buried."

"This is a...highly irregular situation," Hammond said, ignoring Jack's snort. "Because of how suddenly all of this has come up, we're still very much understaffed here, and even when we do have all the personnel we need, we're not looking to employ the sort of people who normally deal with situations involving children, much less alien teenagers."

"Y'think?" Jack couldn't resist saying.

"So, for the moment, I will defer to the medical professionals on this base concerning how to deal with him," Hammond finished, eyeing Jack. "Barring objections, it seems prudent to keep him here for the moment."

"When you say 'here,'" Jack said, "do you mean here on Earth, or here in Cheyenne Mountain?"

"Until we have everything sorted out, including a cover story, he should remain within the SGC," Hammond clarified. "He does speak our language, correct?" At the answering nods, Hammond exhaled, rubbing his brow. "Well, at least that's one thing less to think about."

Not for the first time now, Jack wished there were someone like Claire or Melburn Jackson available. These kinds of issues hadn't been his biggest concern when he'd gone through the Stargate the first time. A little reluctantly, he said, "Speaking of the Jacksons, sir...our original orders were to bring them home to Earth. I have to admit, we could really use someone with their kind of expertise."

Hammond looked vaguely amused. "You're saying we need to bring in more scientists," he said.

Jack stopped himself from rolling his eyes, ignoring a fake cough from Kawalsky's side of the table. "Some people with linguistic skills and...cultural expertise could come in handy," he allowed. "That's all I'm saying, sir."

"No need to worry," Hammond said. "Some of the personnel here are qualified translators. Experts in the fields of linguistics, anthropology, physics, and a variety of other sciences are being approached as we speak. I expect we'll have plenty of scientists around here before too long. Now, if that's all, you're dismissed. I'll speak with you all later about your teams."

They rose automatically as Hammond left the room. Jack caught Kawalsky's smirk and Carter's poorly hidden smile. "I didn't mean I was looking for a base full of geeks," he muttered, then winced at Carter's affronted expression. "No offense, Carter."

...x...

Carter was already sitting in the infirmary when Jack walked in, after the whirlwind of the last two days finally calmed for the moment. "Colonel," she greeted quietly, starting to stand.

Jack stopped by an empty bed. "As you were, Captain-Doctor," he answered absently, staring at the newly changed sheets.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that, sir," she said, though without heat, and she sat back down. She saw where he was looking and added, "Oh, Major Ferretti was transferred to the Academy hospital just a couple of hours ago, but they say he'll make a full recovery."

"Huh." He wished he'd known, so he could have gotten a chance to see the man off.

"Major Kawalsky was here for a bit, but he's crashing in his quarters now," she said.

"That's...good. Good." After twenty-four hours standing vigil off-world, and who knew how many hours of vigil at Ferretti's bedside before that, Jack was relieved Kawalsky was taking the time to sleep.

He made his way to where she was standing and looked down at the sleeping figure she was watching curiously. He suddenly wondered again just how old Daniel Jackson was, because it was even harder to tell a person's age when he was sleeping. Then he wondered why there was an IV line going into his arm. Out loud, he only said, "I can't believe he's still sleeping."

"The doctors gave him a mild sedative at some point during the night. They said a lot of the people we brought back from Chulak were pretty dehydrated"--Jack reflexively glanced up at the IV bag and saw that it contained only saline--"but Daniel became agitated after falling asleep. Tried to pull out the needle and everything. They thought it better to let him rest."

"'Agitated in his sleep'?" he repeated softly. "Most people call them nightmares, Captain, and they don't drug kids for having them."

"Yes, sir, I know, but it was pretty chaotic in here after we got back--some of the others needed more serious medical attention," she said reasonably. "At least this way he got to rest until it was determined who he was and what should be done with him."

Still a little disgruntled but unable to come up with a good argument--they really weren't staffed at full operating capacity yet--he only grunted in answer.

Daniel's Abydonian clothing had been replaced with standard scrubs, blue fabric peeking out over the top of the blankets. One arm was tucked under the blankets; the other sported a thin bracelet that Jack hadn't noticed before, made of something that looked like braided strips of hide. Daniel admittedly did look pretty calm, which Jack realized with a start that he'd never seen in the boy's expression before, between the excitement of strangers on Abydos and the stress of their prison break.

Jack's first thought was that his son used to curl up the same way while sleeping, but facing the other way. His second was that this boy here looked nothing like his son. It was just that, asleep, he looked younger than he must actually be, and...

"Sir?" Carter said.

He looked up, feeling oddly embarrassed, though there was no way she could have known what he was thinking and didn't even seem to have noticed his distraction. "What?"

She smoothed the sheets unnecessarily on Daniel's bed. "It's not important, but I was wondering...if you don't mind me asking, sir..."

"Carter, if you're gonna be on my team, I don't need you tiptoeing around anything," he said. "I _do_ need to know what you're thinking."

Startled eyes met his. "Yes, sir." She cleared her throat. "Did you know Claire and Melburn Jackson well?"

Jack had to stop and think about that one to decide on the answer. "Not really," he admitted finally. "We didn't spend a lot of time together, and there wasn't a lot of time to muck around on that mission."

"Really? I mean, you seemed pretty comfortable with them when we were on Abydos." Her eyes flicked down for a moment. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't mean to pry into..."

"Eh," he said, waving off the apology and considering her for a moment. "You've seen combat before this week, Captain. You know what it's like--time in hostile territory, everyone trying to pull everyone else's ass out of the fire... Melburn jumped in front of a hot staff weapon for me once. I never imagined he had it in him. The Jacksons didn't think too much of us 'military types' at first, but I think they came to respect us. I know _I_ respected them, sneezes notwithstanding."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "Sneezes, sir?"

"It... Allergies." He shook his head, a dull ache settling gently in his chest. He hadn't known them well, not even enough to grieve them properly, but the few quirks and jokes they'd shared were a reminder of their absence, nonetheless. "The point is, they didn't deserve..." He looked down at the son of the two late archaeologists they were discussing. "You know what, Carter, this might not be the best place to talk about... You wanna take this outside?"

She stood quickly. "Of course, sir, you're right." As they stepped out and began walking down the hallway, she remarked, "I've been thinking that maybe we should've brought their...brought them back with us to give them a proper service. This program owes everything to them."

Jack shook his head, though. "The Abydons will give them a hero's funeral. That place was home to them. I think it's what they would've wanted."

She walked in silence for a while. "They were brilliant," she said finally, sounding genuinely regretful about their loss, too. "I would've loved the chance to talk to them more. What an incredible couple of people."

"Yeah," he agreed. "You probably would've gotten along pretty well with them, actually." Jack thought the average IQ of the base probably dropped noticeably whenever Carter left; she and the Jacksons would have made one hell of a team.

"Daniel, too," she said. "When I think of how far he could go, with the right education...it'll be almost a shame to send him back, where he won't be able to get that."

"It's his home, Carter," he said.

"Oh, of course, sir," she said quickly. "I'm just saying... I talked to him on Abydos, and later when we were running back to the Stargate. Obviously, he's absorbed a lot of mythology and some languages from what his parents taught him, but he was picking out some basic conversation with one of the other prisoners, too, using a few words he'd picked up from the language the Jaffa and Goa'uld speak. A little charades to fill in the blanks, but he's very quick."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "You were chatting with Daniel while running for your lives?"

"He was pretty shaken up, sir. It seemed to calm him down a lot."

He conceded the point, remembering how Daniel had acted while in the prison. "His folks are... _were_ like that, too--completely forgot about life-threatening sandstorms and armies as soon as they found an interesting rock."

She smiled faintly, then glanced backward as they walked, as if trying to see inside the infirmary from meters away. "I've been worried--I thought he'd be awake by now."

"He's tired and drugged," Jack pointed out. "We got back after midnight, and he's been in a prison for couple of days. Besides, days are longer on Abydos. Twelve hours of sleep a night is pretty average for them, and it's only been, what, ten?"

Carter turned down a corridor, her brow wrinkled in thought. "Days are longer?" She shook her head. "I don't know why that surprises me--it shouldn't. It's still just bizarre--we leave Chulak in broad daylight and step through a wormhole to here, where it's the middle of the night. Days aren't twenty-four hours long on Abydos... It makes perfect sense, but it's hard to get used to."

He shrugged, then suddenly realized they were in the elevator. "Wait, where are we going?" He'd been following her without any real reason.

Carter looked surprised, then said, " _I'm_ going to my lab. We're working on the coordinates from Abydos, sir. Also, I got some footage of other walls that have what I suspect is more than just Stargate symbols. Until we get a translator or an Egyptologist, we can't even guess whether or not it's something important, and we're just hoping something in the Jacksons' journals will help us." She stopped to take a breath. "Do you need to be somewhere, sir?"

Damn. He was _not_ hanging out in the physics lab. He searched for something to say but had to admit, "We're waiting for the Goa'ulds to stop dialing us before doing anything. Teal'c thinks they'll keep sending Jaffa through until they figure out we've got an iris."

Carter winced. "How _is_ Teal'c, sir?"

"They're being very nice to him, for a prisoner of war," Jack replied caustically.

"A prisoner of war?" she repeated.

"Well, that's not what they're calling him, officially. But they keep him locked in a room, they interrogate him, and then they lock him up again."

The elevator doors opened, and, for lack of anything better to do, Jack stepped off with her. "There's nothing you can do?" she said, still looking unhappy.

Jack shrugged tightly. "I've talked to him a couple of times. Sat in while the Pentagon lackey questioned him. He's not being tortured; don't worry too much yet. I'll keep at them, see if I can get them to ease up."

"Yes, sir."

The reached the door to a lab where Carter walked in. Jack lingered at the door. "Uh, I'm gonna go do...stuff," he said.

"No one would mind if you wanted to stay while you wait for something else to do. Or help us catalogue the 'gate addresses," she hinted hopefully.

Jack took a look around at the benches, where computers, microscopes, and some much less easily recognizable equipment perched. "I think _I'd_ mind," he said. "Have fun with your...cataloguing, Captain."

XXXXX

**_13 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 1400 hrs_ **

The next time Jack walked past the infirmary, intending to pass by on his way to the elevator, he heard raised voices and noticed that the security personnel normally outside the infirmary were no longer at their post. Alarmed, he ran inside to find Dr. Warner and two young nurses all standing around Daniel Jackson, who was yelling something incomprehensible and twisting in the grip of an airman.

"Hey, _hey_!" he said, even though he realized he was only adding to the din. "What do you think you're doing!"

Warner turned to him with far too much relief for someone who was supposed to be calm in crises. "Colonel O'Neill," he greeted, striding over, only to be pushed back as Jack stormed through, grabbing him by the lab coat as he passed. "Wh...all right! He woke up, and as soon as he saw Nurse Johnson, he started having a panic attack. We're trying to keep him from running, and we can't understand what he's saying, but I think he was talking about ghouls or..."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack muttered disgustedly, releasing the man's lapel and pushing the nurses back. "Let him go, you moron. That's an order!"

The minute Daniel was released, he darted forward, but Jack was ready and caught him and pinned his arms against his body, maneuvering so that the boy had no choice but to face him. "Daniel," he said loudly, bending a little to bring his head closer to Daniel's height. "Listen to me. We're not Goa'ulds!"

" _Na nay!_ "

"Kid, I'm starting to think that's the only word you ever say," Jack managed as he struggled to hang onto the surprisingly strong boy squirming in his arms. "Hey, hey. Look at me, Daniel. You know me. We are not Goa'ulds. We got out of there, remember?"

"I don't think he's even hearing us anymore, Colonel," Dr. Warner said in a helpful tone.

"Daniel, we can't understand you. _Ne_...uh. Crap." Wishing he'd learned more Abydonian, Jack fished through his memory and tried a different language that Daniel definitely knew, more forcefully, " _Ana mish fahim!_ " He hoped that one was right.

The abruptness of the language change seemed to be enough to startle Daniel into shutting up and lifting his head, so that he was staring into Jack's eyes. He stilled, though his arms remained stiff and were trembling with adrenaline.

Slowly, softly, Jack repeated, "I don't understand Abydonian, okay, so... But you're safe. We're not Goa'ulds. You're _safe_." When Daniel didn't move, he prompted, "You remember me?"

Daniel bit his lower lip, eyes darting restlessly around the room, then said, "O'Neill. Colonel," he added, an afterthought.

"That's right. We escaped from the Goa'ulds. You remember that?"

He nodded tentatively. "Yes." He glanced distrustfully around, then said through gritted teeth, " _Ma tilmisni_."

"Ah...I've kinda reached the limits of what I can say in Arabic," Jack said, "so if you don't mind sticking with Engli--"

"Let me go!" Daniel snapped.

Very deliberately, Jack took his hands away and held them out unthreateningly. "All right, then. All right. Look, why don't you sit down on the bed." As if to demonstrate, Jack sat on the gurney next to the mussed bed where Daniel had been sleeping, watching the boy carefully to see if he would follow. After another long hesitation, he did, lowering himself to perch nervously at the edge of the bed, his eyes flicking continuously over Jack's shoulder toward the men and women still standing some distance away.

"Now that's settl--"

"What's going on?" a familiar voice sounded from the doorway.

Jack rose. "General Hammond, sir." Daniel was immediately on his feet, too, and Jack quickly dropped his hand back on Daniel's shoulder, partially to reassure but mostly to make sure he wouldn't bolt. "Actually, I was just about to ask the same thing."

Hammond took in the medical staff, the security, and Jack's protective stance. "Doctor?"

Warner stepped forward. "As I already told the colonel, the boy--"

"Whose name is Daniel," Jack put in.

"-- _Daniel_ woke up and Nurse Johnson went to check on him. He panicked upon waking. Colonel O'Neill seems to have calmed him down."

Daniel shifted under Jack's hand. "Don't talk about me as if I cannot hear you," he said.

Warner looked chastised. "We weren't sure you understood English, uh, Daniel."

"He does," Jack said. "He's pretty bright, Doc."

Daniel squirmed again and shrugged Jack's hand off, taking two steps back to fold his arms across his chest like a shield and glared at Jack this time, looking insulted and disgruntled and distrustful all at once. "And don't patronize me, either."

Hammond raised an eyebrow. Jack made an effort not to let his mental backpedaling show in his expression. "I'm not," he lied. "It's just what Carter told me. She's impressed by you, and my boss tells me she's much smarter than me." Daniel's glare lost a little heat but didn't let up completely. "And you did good back there, on Chulak. You tried to help the other prisoners to escape. Not everyone would've done that."

Daniel opened his mouth. Jack raised a warning finger. "Ah! I'm just telling it like it is." The mouth closed.

Daniel dropped his gaze, which Jack took as a sign that he wasn't being seen as the enemy anymore. "It did not--didn't make much difference," Daniel muttered despite the admonition. "It isn't as if they needed someone to tell them to run." He seemed fluent enough, Jack supposed, but he was clearly still trying to get used to using English all the time.

Jack shrugged. "You kept your head; that's not as easy as it sounds. That's not bad in my book."

The blue eyes came back up to him, then drifted over to the doorway.

"That's General Hammond," Jack said, following his gaze. "He's the man in charge around here. In fact, he's usually a very busy man, so you're lucky you're getting the chance to meet him."

Hammond seemed to take that as his cue, and he walked closer. "There's little I can do while the 'gate is being dialed every few minutes, and I have a meeting later with potential research scientists. So, Daniel, I have some time now, and I thought I'd come see how you're doing. I'm sorry for the confusion, son, but it's been a hectic few days."

Daniel lifted a foot halfway, as if about to step back, then put it back down again. "I'm not your son," he said, guardedly.

Jack winced. Hammond barely paused before responding smoothly, "No, of course not. It's just an expression, but I won't call you that if it bothers you."

Resentment still showed in Daniel's eyes, but he looked away again, almost visibly shrinking into himself. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Why don't you sit down," Jack suggested again. "No reason for us all to be standing around."

Hammond found himself a chair, while Jack reclaimed his seat on the gurney. Daniel started to, as well, then moved all the way to the head of his gurney, where he reached out a hand to touch his fingers to the wall behind it. As he finally started to sink down to sit on the padding, Jack remarked, "Everything around here probably seems...strange, huh. Different."

Daniel didn't answer immediately, and when he did, it was to ask, looking at the pillow, "When can I go home?"

Leaning forward in a surprisingly paternal way, Hammond said, "I'm afraid that won't be possible right away."

"Why not?" Daniel said, looking up through his bangs.

"Well," Jack explained, "the only way to get there is through the Stargate. And...do you remember how your...how the Stargate on Abydos used to be buried in rocks?"

"We already took the rocks away, almost half a year ago."

Jack nodded slowly. "Right. Here's the thing. Abydos has no way to defend against Apophis, you know that, right?"

Daniel snapped out of his slouch and widened his eyes. "You mean he will go back?"

"No," Jack said quickly. "No, Abydos is safe...because they've buried the Stargate again. Nothing can get through. Understand what I'm saying?" He waited a few moments and saw the moment it sank in.

"You mean...?"

" _Nothing_ can get through, even us. For now. But," he added, as horror dawned on the young face, "Toby...uh, Tobay--you know him, right?" He waited for the wary nod, then continued, "He told us they'll unbury it again in one year, and then we can check to see if it's safe for you to go back."

"He...what?" Daniel said faintly. "Why?"

"They had to close it, to protect themselves," Jack said, "but they want to give you a chance to go back. They didn't want to give up hope that you'd get back to them again."

Daniel's fingers stopped their exploration of the hospital bed's railings. "Skaara and Sha'uri are still gone."

Hammond shot him a questioning look, and Jack realized they'd never actually mentioned those names to him. "The two Abydonian kids," he explained, then told Daniel, "We'll look for them."

"Colonel," Hammond warned.

"General, they were infected by Goa'ulds," Jack said. "We may be able to save them."

"I'd rather not make too many promises," the general said carefully, leaving unspoken the obvious implication that they might not be able to keep that promise. Who knew, after all, what happened to the host of those parasites?

"Sir, whatever the case may be, they're connected to the Goa'uld Apophis," Jack pointed out. "It makes sense to search for them--might not even be avoidable, if we're going after Apophis."

"We'll save them?" Daniel spoke up, the hope in his voice making him sound just the way Skaara had, moments before being dragged away.

It was Jack's turn to tread carefully this time. "We'll do our best to save whoever we find," he said.

There was no hesitation before the quick rejoinder. "That isn't what I asked."

Jack locked eyes with Hammond, then said, "I'm not going to lie to you, kid. We'll try. That's all I can say. We're pretty new at this."

Daniel tilted his head and stared at him in a way that made Jack feel bizarrely like he was being assessed and judged by a--how old was he, anyway? Thirteen, maybe? Fourteen? Finally, Daniel nodded, but reiterated, "I'm not a kid."

"Hey," Jack said. "You're a kid compared to me. By the way, how old _are_ you?"

"Almost seventeen years," Daniel said. "Almost _saé--_ of age."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, right." Granted, the elder Jacksons had mentioned that he was coming of age within the year, but seventeen was impossible. Someone would have noticed if a toddler had stowed away with them during the first Abydos mission.

Daniel's head snapped up in annoyance. "What? You think I'm lying?"

"Daniel, you can't--" Suddenly understanding, Jack said, "Ah. That's seventeen in Abydonian years." Hammond looked surprised again--it'd take a while for them all to get used to the idea of traveling to different planets with different rules than their own.

Curiosity lit Daniel's eyes. "Oh--your calendar must be different. Can you show me?"

"Uh...sure," he said. Over thirty-five hours in a day and who knew how many days in a year... "Next time you see Carter, ask her to do out the math for you, so you can know how old you are by our calendar. She'll know better than I do."

Daniel gave him another considering look, then nodded. "Colonel O'Neill?"

Being called Colonel by someone so young reminded him of those kids on Abydos, fighting and yelling and dying... "It's Jack," he said.

"What?"

"It's my name. You're not under my command; you can call me Jack," he clarified, eyeing the way Daniel was still perched lightly, as if ready to run away if need be. The anxiety from before seemed to have lessened, though, so he'd take that as a victory.

"...Jack," Daniel said, more carefully than such a simple name really deserved. "When you said I could go back in one year, is that one year on Abydos or one year on Earth?"

Jack opened his mouth, then closed it and sat back. "Huh. You know, I...never even thought about that." When alarm started to rise again in Daniel's eyes, he added, "But! I'd guess probably one year on Abydos. We'll check both days. We have a way to check, now, to see if the Stargate is open." Wow. He'd completely missed that. He wondered whether Carter had thought of it and made a note to tell her, just in case.

"You won't forget?" Daniel said, half-suspicious and half-demanding.

"We'll make sure of it," Hammond promised.

Daniel looked at him for a moment, then asked, "When will we start looking for my family?"

Jack really didn't want to have a discussion about the boy's late parents. "Your..."

"Skaara and Sha'uri. My family," Daniel said tightly. "They are as brother and sister to me. When will we start looking?"

"We're...still trying to figure things out here. We'll start as soon as we know _where_ to start." The general didn't disagree, so he continued, "Skaara and Sha'uri. They're Kasuf's kids? You know their family well?"

"I grew up with them. Seshmit Kasuf was a friend to my parents, so..." He stopped talking abruptly, avoiding their gazes and starting to fiddle with the scrubs he was wearing. "What happened to my clothes?" he asked, his voice suddenly flat.

Jack studied the renewed tension in his form. "The doctor put them aside, and we'll give them back to you. Daniel, I want you to know that your parents--"

"Do I have to stay here?" Daniel interrupted, his voice steady but his eyes still directed downward. The questing hands were fisted in the cloth now.

"It would be best for you to stay on Earth for now," Hammond repeated.

"I _know_ that. I mean this room. Can I go outside? I thought I wasn't a prisoner." The way he looked at them as he said the last part, wide-eyed and too innocent, made Jack certain that he knew what he was doing. _Trying to guilt-trip us, are you?_

"Of course you're not a prisoner," Hammond said calmly. "I'm afraid that, because of the work we do around here, I can't let you wander around just anywhere on base. But I can have someone show you to guest quarters where you can stay."

"So I will be kept in a different room," Daniel said.

"Oh, for... Tell you what," Jack said. "Carter was asking about you before. Why don't you go talk to her for a while, let her know you're okay. I hear you two hit it off back in Nagada." She could give a lecture on wormholes or something to someone who wanted to listen, and maybe he'd sit still and stop asking questions they couldn't answer for a couple of minutes at a time. "General, that wouldn't be a problem, would it?"

Hammond had pursed his lips and now was shooting a significant scowl at Jack. "Colonel, the project Captain Carter is currently working on is classified--"

"Sir, _Daniel's_ classified. And if you're talking about the symbols from Abydos, I'm going to take a guess and say he's probably seen them before."

Daniel perked up at that. "The writing from the room with the cartouches? With the _chaapa'ai_... the Stargate...um, the places that the Stargate goes?"

Jack spread his hands. "See? He knows more about it than I do already. And we call them Stargate _addresses_ ," he added to Daniel.

"I can help translate things," Daniel said.

"Well, that's not what I--wait, really?" Jack said. Carter had said they'd been having trouble with some of the footage, but... "Are you just saying that, or can you actually read what it says?"

"Of course I'm not 'just saying that,'" Daniel said, giving him an affronted look. "They must be written in hieroglyphs, yes? It's how the Abydonian scribes write. Or used to write, at least."

"Seriously? Everyone on Abydos can read it?"

"No," he explained, sitting straighter and picking up steam. "They say Ra didn't like people to be literate, before I was born, but even now, not everyone learns. I grew up learning to read and to write. Some of the others have been learning with my parents, so..." He trailed off. "I could help," he repeated.

Hammond seemed reluctant still, but nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you look around as long as you don't bother the scientists and you do as Captain Carter says. If you're sure you want to..."

"Yes."

"Then I'll have one of these men escort you up to her lab." Jack realized with a surprise that there were still five other people standing around. The man who'd been restraining Daniel earlier came forward. Daniel's eyes turned wary again.

"Don't worry," Jack said casually, "he'll answer to me if he tries anything. Right, Airman?"

The man looked uneasy, but snapped off a "Yes, sir." Daniel turned a considering look on Jack.

"Colonel..." Hammond started, then gave up and sighed. "All right. Daniel, let Captain Carter or any of the other personnel know if you need anything. Airman Thomas, if you will?"

Once Daniel had left the room, trailing carefully just out of reach of his escort, the general nodded at Jack. "Colonel--my office."

XXXXX

"Is everything going all right, sir?" Jack asked once they were seated in the general's office.

Hammond rubbed his temples. "The Goa'uld seem to have slowed in their assault of our iris, so that's something."

"Good," Jack said. "So, are we going to be visiting any planets any time soon? Besides Chulak, I mean, 'cause I've gotta tell you: _not_ the friendliest place."

"The technicians have begun to work out the new coordinates," Hammond said.

"So..."

"However, I think it would be wise to wait until we're more fully staffed."

Damn. It was going to get boring here on base with a Stargate just taunting them in the embarkation room. "With all due respect, sir...why?"

"At the moment, SG-1 consists of yourself and Captain Carter," the general reminded him. "I'm not comfortable sending two people alone into a totally unknown situation."

"Well, if you'd let me take Teal'c with me..."

"Colonel."

Jack shrugged. It was worth a try. "What about that guy you were talking about? Captain, uh...whatshisface. Peace?" He winced. Okay, so not exactly the start of a great bond there.

"Captain _Pierce_ ," Hammond rebuked.

Whoops. "I was close," Jack offered.

"Your obvious lack of familiarity with a potential team member notwithstanding," Hammond said, "the device used to dial the Stargate on most planets is still not fully understood."

"We're calling it a DHD," Jack put in helpfully. "For Dial Home Device. Carter named it."

"Whatever name it has," Hammond said, patiently, "the fact is, you've had an opportunity to use the device on two different planets. The 1982 mission report states that the Drs. Jackson spent quite a long time trying to locate the seventh symbol, and that, even then, it was mostly accidental that they figured it out."

Jack admitted, "The Jacksons had been studying the one on Abydos. I'd been hoping they'd be able to explain it to us, but we did successfully use the one on Chulak."

"You went to Chulak on the hope that it was close enough to use the same point of origin as Abydos. That it did not work shows that, without the expertise of someone who can decipher the symbols, we don't have enough information to risk another off-world mission so soon."

"We did get back from Chulak eventually," Jack pointed out. "Just took a few tries. We didn't expect that the symbols might be different." Carter said it had something to do with constellations and probabilities and blah blah blah. Jack wanted to know what the little symbol thing was.

"What you _don't_ expect is exactly the point," Hammond said. "You said at the briefing that it was Teal'c who identified the seventh symbol for you. You can't count on having a friendly on the other side who knows how to use the Stargate every time you go off-world."

"So you admit Teal'c is a friendly, sir," Jack had to say. "He could teach us about DHDs."

Hammond's glare came on full-force now. "Colonel, I've given you a lot of latitude so far. While I understand your feelings about Teal'c, I'll only tell you one more time to stop pushing me on the subject."

Jack did occasionally have an idea of when to shut up. "Yes, sir."

"In any case," the general said, "we need more information before we begin new missions, and enough time for the points of origin to be calculated mathematically. So unless you'd like to help Captain Carter in the lab..."

"I'm allergic to the labs around here," he commented.

"I'm sure," Hammond replied dryly. "Speaking of labs, I'm not sure it's wise to have the Jackson boy in there."

"General, he'll probably spend most of the time looking at textbooks," Jack said. "Besides, it might help Carter get a head start on those hieroglyphs they were having trouble with."

"I hope you're not suggesting we put a child to work around here."

"No, sir; I'm suggesting that it's a good, harmless distraction while we figure out what to do with him."

Though no one had said it, there was little doubt in Jack's mind that Daniel intended to help search for Skaara and Sha'uri, after that _'When will we start looking?'_ line minutes ago. Anything that would keep him busy, at this point, could only be a good thing.

"As a bit of good news," the general said, "a Dr. Janet Frasier, is arriving later today to serve as our Chief Medical Officer, along with a few other doctors and other staff. They might have a better idea of how to deal with a situation like his."

"By 'situation,' you mean finding someone with high security clearance who might be willing to foster a kid born light-years away, sir?" Jack said.

"It'll be tricky," Hammond conceded.

"And will surely involve lots of paperwork," Jack added.

"Colonel...the boy _does_ know that his parents...?"

"That they were killed? Yes, sir. He knows. Probably saw it firsthand." Jack had noticed, of course, the way Daniel changed the subject when the elder Jacksons were mentioned, but that was denial, not ignorance.

Hammond sighed. "Well, like I said, I'll leave that to the medical professionals. For the moment...I'm going to take a guess and assume you haven't looked over the files I gave you."

"I looked at Captain Pierce's file."

"You barely remembered his name, and his was the first one on the pile," Hammond corrected. "Read through the files, talk to whomever you need, and get your team together, Colonel. Once we have a better grasp on the situation, SG-1 will be assigned its first mission."

"Can't Carter and I go it alone until Ferretti recovers?" Jack said hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. Besides you and Major Kawalsky, Major Ferretti is the highest-ranking officer in this facility who has any experience at all with off-world travel. I'll need him either on Kawalsky's team or leading his own when he returns."

 _If we could take Teal'c_ , Jack thought, _we'd have someone else used to 'gate travel._

"Is that understood, Colonel?"

Jack sighed and stood. "Yes, sir. Off to do my homework, sir."


	3. Arrangements

**_13 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 1700 hrs_ **

Jack found himself making his way up to the physics lab anyway, shortly after walking Teal'c back to his cell and checking in with Hammond about new personnel. "Carter," he called as he stuck his head in, "there's an Egyptologist called Rothman arriving in two days to..." When no one seemed to be listening, he stepped in more fully and looked around the nearly-empty lab.

A sergeant sat before a computer and spared a second to look away from his work. "She's in the back, sir."

Jack nodded to the man--who was already typing again and probably didn't see anyway--and made his way past the benches to the back area where Carter kept her desk.

"Carter," he started, then noticed Daniel sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Both of them looked up at him, blinking. "Hey. Didn't know you were still here, Daniel. So...uh, I see Captain Carter didn't give you a chair?" He gave the captain a pointed look.

"No, sir," she protested, "I did, but--"

"I told Sam it's more comfortable like this," Daniel spoke up. Someone had found an unmarked jumpsuit for him, but he had wrapped himself tightly in a BDU jacket, as if still cold. He had a large textbook lying across his legs, and sheets of what looked like recently printed pictures were spread over the surface. "She did offer, Jack."

"Apparently, chairs were only for special occasions on Abydos," Carter told him.

"Ah," Jack said. "Well, if you don't mind, Carter, I'll steal one of your chairs." He pulled a cheap, wooden chair from the corner and dropped into it. "My knees won't thank me if I join you on the floor," he told Daniel.

He'd vaguely noticed that there wasn't much in the way of personal furniture on Abydos. Earth was as alien to the kid as Abydos had been to Jack's team. Modern concrete and metal railings would be new and strange to Daniel, not to mention all the electronic equipment. If sitting on the floor made him more comfortable, it was a small enough comfort for them to provide for now.

"Sorry about that, sir," Carter said, "I didn't know you were stopping in."

Jack shrugged and waved it off. "I just came up here because Hammond wants _you_ , Carter, to show Dr. Rothman around the research areas when he arrives--you're one of the people who know their way around here. So that means our first training exercises are pushed off until after that gets done."

"Dr. Rothman studies Egypt?" Daniel piped up.

"I heard about him, sir," Carter said. "Actually, I was planning on speaking with you and the general about these translations myself."

"Oh?" Jack said.

The delight in her words was unmistakable as she said, "Well, sir, it looks like Daniel's making some headway."

Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at the pictures on the boy's lap, which he realized now were from that wall that Claire Jackson had mentioned, where there might be some kind of secret chamber. "Is he, now."

Daniel smiled in a way that radiated _Told you so_.

"All right, then," Jack said, crossing his arms. "I'll bite. What's it say?"

The smile faltered. "Well," Daniel hedged, a wrinkle appearing between his brows, "I'm sure I read it right. I was not lying about that."

A preface like that didn't inspire the greatest confidence, but Jack shrugged again. "No one's saying you were. What's it say?"

Daniel chewed on his lip. "Are you sure it's supposed to be about the _chaapa'ai_? Because I really don't see...I mean, it's very clear..." He stopped, then took a deep breath, bringing the paper closer and squinting a little. "It's only about Ra." The disappointment was audible.

Jack kept his expression blank and said, " _What_ does it say about Ra?"

"It's only...telling his story. It praises him, of course, because they thought he was their god at the time this was written. It's basically a history written by his servants. There is a lot more," he went on, "but nothing that has to do with the _chaapa'ai_. But I'm right about what it says, I'm certain of it," he finished defiantly. "It's not hard to read or anything."

Carter met Jack's eyes over Daniel's head, grinning. "This wasn't from the same room as the addresses," she told the boy. "I never told you that, so you assumed it was about the Stargate, but your translation actually makes more sense."

Daniel squinted at his papers another minute, then scowled at both of them. "You were testing me," he accused.

"Not on purpose," she assured him. "Actually, _I_ assumed it would be about the Stargate, too, though in retrospect, I probably shouldn't have. I'd be willing to believe your reading of it--it makes sense."

After a few minutes of silence, the accusation had faded to sullenness. "Did I pass?" he asked. Quiet resentment had appeared and simmered under the words.

Carter was looking guilty for some reason, making Jack suspect that she _had_ been trying to test him, just a little. "There's no 'pass' or 'fail' here, Daniel," he said. "This wasn't a job interview."

"So I _didn't_ pass." There was a glint in his eyes that said he knew perfectly well that wasn't what they meant and was arguing for--what? Semantics' sake? To manipulate them into letting him see more?

"That's not what I said, kid, and you know it," Jack said.

Daniel bristled at the word _kid_ , as if he knew Jack had said it on purpose to underline the fact that he wasn't an adult. "And _you_ know I can help you," he pressed insistently. "You need people to do things like this, yes? That's why you came-- _went_ to Abydos, to find...someone who could translate for you. I am certain that no one here can read this as easily as I can--this is my native language."

"Look," Carter tried, more gently, "you're fourteen years old by our calendar--"

"Fourteen," Jack echoed to himself with a little surprise, counting back to when they'd finished the first Abydos mission.

"--and at least on Earth, we have laws about people your age doing work like this."

Daniel stood abruptly, making the textbook hit the floor with a clatter, photos and translations sliding after it.

"Well, _I_ did not choose to be here on _Earth_!" he growled back, clenching his hands into fists. Jack was taken aback at the sudden movement but even more so at the tears now standing in the blue eyes. Daniel reached up a quick hand to dash them away on the BDU sleeve, and when he looked back up, the tears had disappeared into the angry frustration they'd seen earlier.

"Hey," Jack said sternly, "we'll be doing whatever we can to--"

" _You'll_ be doing," Daniel hissed at him. " _You_. You don't even want to let me help, do you? I'm just going to be put in a room, doing nothing for a year until--"

"Daniel," he tried again, "it's way too dangerous."

"But they killed--!"

The words cut off.

In the following silence, Jack heard a chair scrape along the floor outside and fervently hoped the sergeant out there had decided to remove himself from the scene and wasn't about to come in or anything. Carter looked a bit upset herself, and Daniel had wrapped his fisted arms around himself in a posture Jack was rapidly coming to hate.

Without warning, Daniel closed his eyes, exhaled sharply, and dropped back to the floor to shuffle jerkily through the papers he'd let fall just moments ago.

Jack stood and walked forward until he was in reach of Daniel. "Stop that," he said softly. Daniel's hands stiffened but stopped their furious movements. "Carter and I will straighten that out. You did good with the translation."

"It's not enough," came the prickly reply.

"It's more than we'd expected. More than we'd think of asking for."

"It doesn't... They won't... It's still not enough."

Something heavy settled in Jack's stomach. "Yeah," he managed. "Nothing will ever be enough. There are some things we can't change. I understand."

"Understand," Daniel scoffed. "That's what people say."

Sharply, he answered, "Well, _I_ mean it." He waited until the boy's eyes rose, then said, more gently, "I've lost family, too. I _understand_. I know how you feel."

"Then let me go with you," Daniel said, almost pleading. "Through the _cha_...through the Stargate. I can help you, you know that I can."

"I can't do that, Daniel," Jack said.

"Then let me help _here_! Please."

Jack resisted the urge to smooth down an errant strand of the boy's messy hair, the way he would have done a year ago with a different boy. He left his hand resting on his knee. This was Daniel. Different kid. Not _his_ kid. They were nothing alike--he knew that already.

"How 'bout this," Jack compromised. "I'll ask the general. He's not gonna agree to you going off-world, I can tell you that, but we'll see what the options are." When he saw another protest coming, he said, more firmly, "That's all I can give you right now." Then, more quietly, "Okay?"

Daniel searched his face, as if looking for a trick. Finally, he straightened the pile of photos in his hands. "Here are the pictures and the translations I wrote for them," he said dully, handing a stack of papers to him. "They're not...the order of them is..."

"We'll put them in order," Jack said. The fight had drained from Daniel's expression for the moment, leaving something oddly blank in the wake of the brief flare of anger. "Okay?" he asked again.

Daniel didn't meet his eyes, but rose to his feet and nodded very slightly. "Okay," he agreed, but he shied away with a tiny flinch when Carter made a move to pat him on the shoulder.

XXXXX

**_14 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 1100 hrs_ **

"I hear our little alien friend wasn't too happy about his physical," Jack commented when their new CMO strode into the briefing room.

"I hear from Dr. Warner that you don't take to them very well yourself, sir, and yours was a lot shorter," she retorted crisply, setting a folder down on the table before taking a chair. "I'm Dr. Janet Frasier," she added, holding a hand out to Jack. "Pleased to meet you, Colonel."

"Doctor," he responded.

"Dr. Frasier requested that you be here for this meeting," Hammond explained.

"Uh-huh. Why is that, again?" he asked.

"Actually," Frasier said, "Daniel's the one who requested that you be here, along with Captain Sam Carter. In fact, we're just waiting for..."

"Sorry about that, sirs, Doctor," Carter's voice sounded from the stairs as she hurried to take a seat as well. "I just showed Daniel to his quarters."

"Well, wouldja look at that," Jack said in a bright tone. "SG-1's having another briefing, and we haven't even gone on a second mission yet."

Carter looked uncomfortable. Hammond looked tired. Frasier looked frosty, so Jack made a note not to get in her way too much when it came close to time for his next physical.

"We need to make some decisions about the Jacksons' son," Hammond said. "He understands we may be discussing sensitive information at this meeting but seemed to think you two would be able to represent his interests and those of his planet."

Jack bit back a comment and caught an uneasy glance from Carter. Sure, he'd told Daniel he'd talk to the general, and he'd trust the two of them more than the brass who'd almost nuked Abydos--twice--but their loyalty had to be to Earth first, not a child they barely knew from a planet they'd only visited once or twice. He tried futilely to brush Claire and Melburn's faces out of his head. Not sure whether to answer in the affirmative, he offered a neutral, "Yes, sir."

Hammond nodded, as if he understood completely. "This is our situation. You had orders to bring Drs. Claire and Melburn Jackson back to the SGC in order to help deal with a poorly understood hostile. In doing so, they were killed in action by that hostile, and you brought their son here instead, leaving him no way of returning to his original planet."

"W...well, it sounds bad when you put it that way, General," Jack said as Carter shifted uneasily, "but it's not like _we_ kidnapped the kid."

"I'm not condemning your actions, Colonel," Hammond assured him, "but the bottom line is that having a fourteen-year-old boy running unsupervised through this base is unacceptable."

"I've taken a little time to speak with Daniel Jackson," Frasier spoke up. "He's very determined to find a way to go back to his home planet or, barring that, he's mentioned that he'd like to join an exploration team and help to look for the two Abydons taken as Goa'uld hosts. I know that's not an option, sir," she added at the general's look.

"What about a temporary foster home, off base?" the general said.

"Maybe, if we find could someone with the right clearance," she said. "He is, essentially, a war refugee whose very existence is classified. I'm told that he'll be leaving in a year, so we'd have to keep close tabs on him, anyway. Adjusting to a new culture, maybe entering a school, making up a fake history... I'm not sure it would be worth it, to him or to us, if he's leaving in a year."

"Probably even less than that," Carter added. "Tobay--one of the Abydons--told us 'one year' and probably meant one of _their_ years. That's actually two hundred-and-six thirty-six hour days, or three hundred-and-nine Earth days."

Hammond nodded. "Thank you for keeping track of that. But Dr. Frasier's point still stands, Captain."

"Doctor," Carter asked, "are you suggesting that he should stay here, on base?"

Frasier hesitated. "Normally, I wouldn't. This isn't a child-friendly environment, clearly, but if it's short-term..." She sighed. "The logistics of any placement would be a nightmare. Even ignoring that, if we force him to leave and enter a normal household, if we could even find one suitable, whatever stability it would give him would only be an illusion, since he's just counting down to the day when he'll go back. And it _would_ be forcing him to leave, because he seems to want to say here."

"He wants to stay here because he wants to _work_ for us, not because he wants 'stability,'" Jack pointed out.

"Yes, Colonel, Captain," Hammond said. "You've mentioned something about translations."

Jack raised his eyebrows at Carter to explain, and she obliged eagerly. "Sir, if he's going to be staying on base..."

"Which we haven't decided yet, Captain," the general reminded her.

"Yes, sir. But he was brought up in what is close to our Ancient Egyptian culture. Abydos seems less advanced than our Ancient Egyptians were in some ways, maybe because Ra halted their progress and learning, but Daniel has had a solid, if spotty, education provided by his parents, as well as exposure to Abydonian ways of life. Of the few places we've been, we've already seen several examples of Goa'uld who are posing as Egyptian gods. That mythology is part of his native culture, and he speaks at least a few Egyptian dialects. He'd be a good resource for linguistic or cultural reasons--he reads and writes hieroglyphs as naturally as our own alphabet."

"A 'resource,' Carter?" Jack repeated incredulously. "We've got Teal'c being locked up and milked for information, and you want to use Daniel for the same thing?"

"Colonel O'Neill," the general warned, "the boy will not be mistreated."

No one commented on Teal'c. Jack scowled. "I'm just saying, sir--we're not starting out with a good reputation as far as alien guests go. Besides, I thought we were shipping that Rothberg character over here for translations."

"Rothman," Carter corrected.

"I don't care," Jack snapped. "We can't treat a fourteen-year-old like a government employee who has to earn his keep. Or as a _resource_ ," he added, with a glare at Carter, who flushed.

"No one is suggesting that we should take advantage of him," the general said. "In fact, I seem to remember that you argued yesterday to let him see the footage we brought back from Abydos."

"To keep him _out of the way_ while we figured out what to do with him, sir."

"I realize his staying here would be problematic," Frasier conceded, "but we'd run into problems if we sent him away, too. If you're worried about his _personal_ wellbeing, this place does have a connection to home for him. It might make him feel more at ease."

Jack dropped his pen onto the conference table. "Is anyone... Doc, he's not used to sitting in _chairs_. Being underground all the time, surrounded by concrete and the most advanced technology Earth has to offer..." He waved a hand, wondering if he was the only one who saw something wrong with this picture.

"Well, he's going to see chairs and computers wherever he goes," Fraiser said. "At least he knows someone here who knew his parents and his homeworld, which he may find comforting."

Jack took a look around the room, then said, "I hope you're not expecting _me_ to take care of a kid, whom, by the way, I only barely know because we escaped from _prison_ together. And if you want someone who knew his parents, Doc, I'm not the man for that job, either. We weren't close friends."

They'd trusted him, though. They'd saved his life, and now, this was their son. _Dammit_.

And damn _him_ for promising Daniel to plead his case to the General. "I want the best for the kid, too," Jack continued, "and we owe his parents, but I didn't get recalled to active duty for this."

"No, I agree," Hammond told him. "We need you to lead SG-1. I'm not asking you to baby-sit him. But first things first." He turned to Carter. "Captain, are you certain the translations he gave you are correct? Not a word, Colonel," he snapped as Jack opened his mouth again.

Carter gave Jack a nervous glance, then said, "As certain as I can be, sir. A small portion of what I gave him to look at was translated previously by his parents, and it's in one of the notebooks we brought back from Abydos. That section matched, with enough slight variation that I know he didn't just memorize and repeat his parents' work. As for the rest, when Dr. Rothman arrives, I can ask him for confirmation, maybe do more tests."

"If I might add, General," Frasier said, "I need to keep him here for the next several days, at least. We've never dealt with people from off-world, and obviously I don't have any medical records for him, so I'd feel better if we keep him here until we're sure he's completely fine."

Hammond frowned. "Were there problems during his physical?"

"No, sir. A bit of myopia--obviously, he gets along fine without glasses, but it wouldn't hurt for him to get a pair while he's with us. Some signs of childhood illnesses or injuries but no signs of lingering problems. Considering that he comes from a developing society and just...uh, escaped from prison, he's remarkably healthy, though I'll continue to look for potential latent contagions he may have brought back."

"Colonel, didn't you say his mom had bad allergies?" Carter put in.

"I'll keep an eye out," Frasier told them calmly. "There's a genetic factor to allergies, but there's an environmental one, too--Daniel may or may not have a problem. Also, his immune system could be unused to common pathogens we're exposed to on Earth, so whatever we decide, I'll want to keep him here for a short while, anyway, to make a decision on a course of vaccines. In fact, General, it might be a good idea to develop a standard protocol for treating people from off-world, in case a similar situation comes up again."

"I hope this kind of situation will not become the norm," the general commented wryly. "But that raises a good point. We can't discount the possibility that something like this may happen again, and what we're discussing now with regards to Daniel Jackson could, more generally, affect future procedures. I'll leave developing a medical protocol to you, Doctor."

"Yes, sir."

"During the time Daniel Jackson is here, I'll allow him into the laboratories at the discretion of the scientist in charge of the project, if no one minds his presence," Hammond said. "If this becomes a problem over the next few days, I'll reevaluate that decision. It's either that, Colonel," he added when Jack looked disgruntled, "or keep him locked in his room or find some other way to keep him occupied here over the next year."

"Sir," Carter said, "I know there aren't exactly laws that deal with this, but what is his official status as of now?"

"He has been granted the equivalent of temporary protected status here," Hammond said, "specifically in the SGC itself unless other arrangements are made. I suspect that, since he's not a native of our world, even those with the clearance to know about him would be less inclined to insist on the usual procedures for dealing with foreign, orphaned children."

Jack frowned. "So human rights don't apply to people who aren't from Earth."

"They're probably thinking of him as an alien more than as a human, I'll admit. In this case, Colonel, it'll make things easier for us; drawing attention to him is the last thing we need."

"And what's he supposed to do about food and clothing and things like that?"

Frasier offered, "Someone will be in the infirmary around the clock. My staff and I can see to his immediate needs the best we can."

"So he'll eat hospital food for the next year," Jack said. "Sounds...nice."

"We've had guests at this and other facilities before," Hammond said. "At least for the moment, we can arrange some system for the boy to get what he needs from the commissary."

"He's going to be a little more permanent than most of our guests, sir."

"His situation is a little more abnormal than most of our guests', Colonel, given who he is and why we can't send him home."

Right. Still... "With all due respect, sir, it's a fine line between what you're suggesting and outright forced confinement. I know--I know that's not how it's meant, but we can't keep a kid underground for a year."

Frasier suggested, "I don't see why he can't leave the base sometimes, preferably accompanied by one of the staff."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "That's like...occasionally being on parole. With guards."

"For _his_ safety in an unfamiliar world, Colonel O'Neill," Hammond said sharply. "Believe me, I'm open to suggestions. Let's also not forget that, if the wrong people hear about him and his connection to the SGC, _or_ his parents' contributions here, _or_ his birthplace, there will be problems for all of us, including the boy."

Grudgingly, Jack nodded. "Yes, sir."

"General, Colonel," Carter said, "if you don't have any objections, when I don't have any pressing duties, I wouldn't mind letting Daniel stay with me. I'm in the lab a lot, anyway, and he hasn't bothered me or the other scientists so far while we've been working."

"That's good of you to offer, Captain," Hammond said, nodding. "I trust you'll provide laboratory safety training and exercise proper caution when dealing with sensitive technologies or information."

"Yes, sir," she agreed.

"Coordinate this among yourselves, then," Hammond ordered. "I appreciate your help with this issue; I know it's not in your job descriptions. We're all going to be pulling extra duties until we're fully staffed and everything in this program is more settled. Doctor--"

"I'll make arrangements, sir," Frasier said smartly, gathering her folders together. The general nodded to them all again and stood to return to his office.

"Hold up, Doc," Jack said as she was about to leave the room.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"How old is Daniel, exactly?" Jack asked. "Do we know?"

Both Frasier and Carter looked surprised at the question, but the doctor opened one of her manila folders and said, "I have here July 8, 1983, as an approximate birth date."

"We calculated it from some information in the Jacksons' journals," Carter explained. "They referenced his birth in relation to one of the solstice festivals, and with some astronomical data about the length of days and years, I'm fairly certain of the result, plus or minus a month or so at most. It matches his claim that he's almost seventeen in Abydonian years."

"Huh," he said, counting backward. "That's...not a lot of time after we left Abydos. Didn't take them long to...uh, never mind," he amended, stopping before his mind conjured up images he didn't need.

"I noticed that, too," Frasier said, "and I checked the old medical records still on file from before the 1982 mission. Daniel's mother was already pregnant when they went to Abydos with you and the team. Don't worry," she added when he raised his eyebrows in alarm, "I don't know how things were run before, but I would never allow something like that to happen again. I understand they decided at the time that they needed her on the mission in order to get home."

"That's...not actually what I was worried about." Jack hesitated, then asked, "If a woman dies and is brought back to life, and she's pregnant at the time, there aren't any side effects to the kid, are there?"

"That depends on..." She narrowed her eyes. "You're not seriously...that wasn't in the report."

Jack glanced at the door to Hammond's office. "That report wasn't very complete," he said. "There was this box thing that could heal pretty much everything, even bring people back to life. They thought it was how Ra kept himself and his host alive for so many years."

"You're saying Claire Jackson was, ah, revived using this box?"

"Claire and Melburn both, at one point," he clarified. At the two women's looks, he said defensively, "What? The Jacksons had this weird hero complex. Melburn...took a staff blast for me, from one of Ra's servants. Saved my life, but it was definitely fatal."

Frasier considered. "It could have _looked_ that way, but even traditional definitions of clinical death don't mean there's no chance for..."

"I could see through the hole where his heart got blown out," Jack said flatly. "He was dead." Carter winced; Fraiser pursed her lips in thought. "Later, he came back to life, good as new, except for the hole in his shirt. So when his wife got between him and another staff, he took her up to Ra's ship and..." He waved his hand.

"I get the idea," she murmured. "This...goes against almost everything I've ever seen. I'm not doubting you, sir," she assured him when he opened his mouth indignantly. "Apparently a lot of what I know as the limits of science is wrong. So you're concerned that Daniel's health may have been affected somehow by the trauma to his mother. Or by this healing box."

"That must be the sarcophagus mentioned in the Jacksons' journal," Carter said.

"Yeah, I think that's what they called it," Jack said.

"I don't suppose we have one of those available for study?" Frasier asked, sounding wistful. "No, I didn't think so. Well, I appreciate your bringing this to my attention; I'll make a note in his record. As I said, Daniel seems to be in fine health, and apparently has been for over fourteen years. That doesn't mean there aren't effects we can't see, particularly since we don't know how this sarcophagus affects human physiology. If we ever learn that it might have deleterious effects, I'll reexamine it."

"Thanks, Doc," Jack said.

She nodded to them. "Colonel, Captain...I'll be in the infirmary if you need anything."

"Well, that was fun," Jack said once he and Carter left the room together.

"I really wish we had some way of analyzing that sarcophagus--" she started.

"Trust me," he said. "Better the sarcophagus destroyed than Ra still around." She nodded in acknowledgement. "So you're taking Daniel to your lab now?"

"I'll ask if he wants to, yes. Unless you have any objections, sir."

"Nope," Jack said swiftly. "None. I'm not his...I'm not in charge of him."

XXXXX

**_14 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 1300 hrs_ **

Jack sent Charlie Kawalsky to get checked out in the infirmary--the man had a headache that wouldn't go away--and walked into the men's room after tossing Captain Satterling's file into the growing ' _not joining my team'_ pile. Once there, he found himself staring at Daniel Jackson, who was standing by the sinks.

"Uh," Jack said.

"Jack," the boy said, a little cautiously.

"Daniel," he answered.

When Jack counted to ten and nothing had happened, he tried, "So. What's up?"

Daniel ducked his head. "It's...different." He fluttered a nervous hand around the room. "We didn't have, uh...places with this sort of...plumbing on Abydos. I've only heard about..." He blushed.

Oh. _Oh._ "You, uh...you need help figuring out...you know..." Jack glanced at a urinal, really hoping he wouldn't have to demonstrate.

" _Na nay_! N-no. I, uh. I figured _that_ out," he said quickly, blushing even redder. "I just...I was looking at...I didn't know..." He looked at the sinks again. "Those are for washing?"

Jack studied him for a moment before taking pity and stepping toward the sinks, as well. "Yeah. Water use is different in a desert, huh?"

Daniel nodded, looking humiliated at not understanding, so Jack stopped staring at him and held his hand under the faucet. Water trickled out, and Daniel started in surprise. "They're automatic," Jack told him. "We've got top of the line technology for just about everything in this base, even the useless things, so... Anyway, they wouldn't have been around before your parents left Earth."

Daniel's eyes darted toward him for a second, then back, holding both of his hands under the steady stream of water. "It just turns on?"

"There's a sensor," Jack answered, wondering if that was a deliberate change of subject or just a question. "Beyond that, you'll have to ask someone else. Carter probably knows."

Looking enthralled, Daniel only nodded again.

"I think you're pretty clean now," Jack pointed out after a while, and Daniel snatched his hands back, looking guilty.

"I'm not accustomed to having so much water everywhere," he said. "We're inside, and it's still _everywhere_ I look."

Jack nodded in understanding, remembering the occasions when he'd had to stay in a desert with no luxuries for extended periods of time. "Wait 'til you see the showers," he advised, before he remembered that all the refugees from Chulak had been given the chance to wash off during the medical exam. He hesitated, then asked, "Where are you going from here?"

"Sam said she'll take me to the com...uh. Com...missary."

"Ah," Jack said. "Gotta tell you--the SGC commissary? Not what I'd pick for your first taste of Earth food." He could see the _'why?'_ forming already, so he headed it off with, "But it'll do, I guess. Come on. I'll walk you back. She's still in the lab?"

"Yes. I can find my way, though, so you don't have to..."

"I'm about to take a break anyway," Jack told him, pushing through the door. Daniel trotted forward to catch up to him. "So, what's Carter got you doing now?"

Daniel blinked at him. "There's not a lot left to translate besides the one wall, but Ca--Sam said there might be more after the missions start. She's organizing the cartouche addresses, so she gave me a book I could read until there's more to do."

Jack tried to picture the books that Carter had on her shelf. He found that he couldn't, in fact, since he never actually looked closely at them, but he could imagine what kind of books they were, and he didn't think they were light reading. "A book about what?" he asked suspiciously.

"Stars," Daniel said. "Not just about the constellations and their mythology, but about the actual stars and how they're born and everything. The constellations in her book looked different from the ones back home." He fell quiet for a moment. "Can I ever go outside?"

Jack looked at him. "You want to see our stars?"

He nodded. "And the sun and the moons."

"There's just the one moon here." Being honest, the first time on Abydos, Jack hadn't quite believed they were actually on an alien planet until he'd looked up and seen three moons in the sky.

"Oh. I haven't seen...Sam says we're under the ground, and that's why we can't see outside." He looked up in question, asking for confirmation.

"That's right," Jack told him. "No windows."

"Isn't it hard to tell what time it is?"

Jack pointed up a wall that they were passing. "That's why we have clocks, Daniel."

Daniel glanced up briefly. "Well, I know, but...it's not the same. It never really changes from dark to light." He squinted upward at the clock. "And that only goes up to twelve, and Sam said you have twenty-four hours, so I don't even know which it is--if it's day or night right now."

Jack realized with a start that he'd been up and away from home for long enough that he wasn't quite sure of it, either. This job was going to be like constant jetlag, he could see it already. Or, well, 'gate-lag, he supposed. He surreptitiously peeked at his watch--the digital one that had caught Teal'c's eye on Chulak--and said, "It's afternoon. Thirteen hundred hours. Or one p.m., same thing. You know, Daniel..."

"What?"

"After the Doc's done with your checkups and everything, I'm sure we can find someone to show you around outside the Mountain."

"We're in a _mountain_?" Daniel said, his eyes widening. "I thought--"

"Well, _under_ a mountain, I guess," Jack explained, and they reached the door to the lab. "Carter! Look what I found."

She was doing something on her computer and stood in surprise. "Sir, I didn't expect to see you. I was starting to get worried--thought Daniel had gotten lost."

Daniel was turning red again, so Jack took pity on him and said, "I told him you could explain how the sink faucets work."

Her eyes widened as she figured out what the delay had been, even as her mouth, apparently on autopilot, began an explanation of the workings of sink faucets and the electronic systems that controlled theirs. Jack let her get to the words ' _infrared motion sensor_ ' before cutting her off.

"Ah! Carter--I didn't mean now. I've been told you're going to, uh..." He checked his watch again. "Lunch."

"Right." She bent down to type something, then closed whatever she'd been working on. "Here, I'll show Daniel the way. Unless...would you like to join us, sir?"

"Actually, I was going to bring a tray down to Teal'c and chat with him," he told her. "But you two have fun."

As he turned to leave, Daniel said, "Jack, wait. Can I go with you?"

_Uh..._ "To see Teal'c?" Jack asked carefully. Carter gave him an uncertain look, and he knew what she was thinking. The two of them trusted the Jaffa as much as it was possible to trust a man they barely knew, but Daniel... Would he see the man who'd saved their lives or the one who'd made their lives--and his parents', and Skaara and Sha'uri's--need saving to begin with?

Daniel nodded. Apparently, he misunderstood the expression on their faces, because he said innocently, "He wouldn't hurt us, would he?"

Still, Jack was starting to notice that Daniel was sneaky when he wanted, with his wordplay and that too-innocent look on his face. "Okay, then," he agreed, thinking he could always separate the two of them if any bad feelings reared their head. "We'll make a picnic of it. First stop is still the commissary, though, so..." He gestured, and Carter led the way with Daniel following behind.

"You must be hungry, huh," Jack said as they walked, just for something to say.

Daniel shrugged. "Dr. Frasier--Janet--gave me something to eat earlier."

"Hospital food?"

"A protein bar and an energy drink, sir," Carter told him. "Something with a lot of calories. Daniel hadn't had much to eat in a while."

"Great," Jack said cheerfully. "Well, the rest of the food here shouldn't be as much of a letdown, in that case."

Daniel turned his head to blink at Jack in confusion, as if unsure whether he was joking. Jack had to grab him and turn him back around before he ran into a wall.

Jack and Carter ended up making selections for four once they were in line, since Daniel seemed more than a little confused about the foods available to them. "We don't have any roasted lizards here," he told Daniel. When Carter gave him an odd look, he added, "What? We don't." Fortunately, Daniel was distracted enough by examining the contents of the trays that he didn't notice the curious stares directed their way.

"Who is Rothman? Is he a translator?" Daniel asked as they left, the three of them carting away four meals between their trays. Remembering how clumsy Melburn Jackson could be, Jack noted gladly that Daniel hadn't inherited that trait. Maybe it had to do with growing up on sand dunes, looking up to people like Skaara, who evidently had at least enough physical grace to avoid tripping over his own feet while toting an automatic weapon.

"Rothman's an archaeologist," Jack explained, "but he has some background in classical languages--or...I dunno, something to do with languages. Now, mostly he studies Egypt and does...archaeologist things."

"Out of curiosity, sir, how'd they find him?" Carter asked. "I have no idea how they're recruiting people to work here now, with everything fast-tracked." She left unspoken, _'Because it's awkward to ask someone to work for you to look for alien technology to fight parasitical gods.'_ "They couldn't have approached him more than a couple of days ago."

"Hammond says they weren't looking for _him_ , specifically." Jack had actually listened to the general during the explanation, because the last time he'd met a couple of archaeologists he knew nothing about, he'd been caught completely off guard. "There's this guy, Rayner, who's supposed to be brilliant, but our man who approached him thought he could be a security risk--really likes publicity, that sort of thing. There was this guy working for him as an assistant--that's Rothman--who seems less likely to kick up a fuss. Apparently, he had a couple of radical theories that make us interested in him, even if his academic friends aren't interested."

"Many academics don't like theories that threaten the foundations of their beliefs," Daniel remarked sagely. Carter raised her eyebrows; Jack was sure that had to have come straight from his parents' mouths. It was how they'd hired the Jacksons to begin with, after all.

"Well, Rothman never actually took the step over the line to try to prove his theories--like your parents did," he added, hoping to draw _some_ reaction, to no avail. "But it's held him back, which is probably why he's still working under a junior researcher like Rayner."

"He probably had to scrap the ideas no one would fund--like ten thousand-year-old pyramids--and start over just to get his degree," Carter said, looking sympathetic.

"Anyway," Jack said, "the point is, he's done good work, and he must be pretty eager to join, because he'll be here tomorrow. "

"I guess we should expect a lot of the scientists to be relatively inexperienced," Carter said. "Or experienced but possibly eccentric and marginalized as a result. Like Daniel says, the academic world can be a little prohibitive sometimes when it comes to these kinds of theories. You can't work without funding, and you can't get funding for things no one believes in."

"Sure, I guess," he agreed amiably. Daniel looked thoughtfully interested but didn't offer an opinion or question for once. "So, kids, here we are. Airman," he said to the man standing in front of Teal'c cell, "my hands are a little full. Mind letting us in?"

The man looked at the three of them, his eyes lingering on Daniel. "Sir, I wasn't aware that--"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Does it say 'Colonel' anywhere on my uniform?"

"No," Daniel said.

Jack looked at him, not sure if it was a joke or a misunderstanding. "Well. It should. Just...just let us in--we're not staging a revolt with sandwiches. Has Teal'c even been brought any food since we got back?" The silence was answer enough for him, and he shook his head. "Open the door before I start complaining about mistreatment of heroic guests, Airman."

The airman obliged and opened to door to let them step through.

"Teal'c, buddy," Jack called brightly, letting the door close behind Daniel and Carter. He took in the man's ramrod-straight posture as he sat on the floor with his back to the door. "What is it with people not liking chairs, these days?" he wondered aloud.

"Oh," Carter uttered. "Are we interrupting something?"

Teal'c turned his head slowly and said flatly, "I am performing _kelno'reem_."

Jack found himself looking to see if Daniel knew what that meant, since he was almost completely sure that wasn't English, but all three of them were equally mystified. "Is that a 'yes?'" he asked.

There was a drawn-out pause, in which Carter shifted her weight onto one leg and Daniel started to fidget. Finally, Teal'c rose gracefully and stood at something approximating parade rest. "I am not disturbed by your presence."

Since that was probably the closest they'd get to a _'Welcome in_ ,' Jack set his tray on the small table and dragged it closer to the center of the room, where Daniel and Carter put theirs down as well. "So, you ever tried Tau'ri food, big guy?"

"'Tau'ri,' sir?" Carter asked.

"Ah, right, I forgot to tell you. Apparently, the galactic community calls us Earthlings 'Tau'ri.'"

"Bull," Daniel said.

"Language, Daniel!" Jack reprimanded.

"Latin," he explained.

"What?" Jack replied blankly.

Daniel looked thoroughly confused, too, then said, "Taurus the bull? From the Latin. Taurus, tauri." When no affirmation came, he guessed, "No?"

It was Teal'c who answered. "Indeed not. The word _Tau'ri_ is from the language of the Goa'uld. I am unfamiliar with Latin."

"Okay, lesson over," Jack said decisively when he saw Daniel open his mouth to speak. "C'mon, we brought lunch. Let's eat." Defying anyone to argue, he hooked a foot around one of the three chairs in the room and sat. Carter followed suit, though she took a moment to hand a plate to Daniel first. Seeing no other furniture in the room besides a cot, Daniel plopped onto the floor with his plate.

Teal'c hadn't moved from where he was standing, so Jack huffed and handed him a loaded tray. "Here. Food. Sit. Eat."

The Jaffa remained perfectly still for a few moments, then took the tray, inclined his head, and dropped back to the floor opposite Daniel.

Jack met Carter's eyes across the table, then looked between Daniel and Teal'c below them. "I didn't mean..." He sighed. "Fine. If my knees get stiff after this, I'm blaming you," he warned as he slid down to the concrete, not sure exactly which one of them he was talking to. Carter made a half-hearted effort to smother a grin and joined them, pushing the table out of the way. "You know, when I said we'd make a picnic of it..."

"Is this not the custom of your people, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked seriously.

"No, Teal'c, it's not. But what the heck. Not enough chairs, anyway."

Daniel gingerly poked the sandwich Carter had picked for him. "How is this bread made?" he asked, sniffing suspiciously at it. "It's...very soft."

Thankfully, Carter was up to the task of explaining the basics of Wonderbread to him, so Jack leaned back against the wall and watched. Daniel was sitting so that he faced Teal'c, but, while he talked to Carter, it was the Jaffa who seemed surprisingly uncomfortable in his presence. It was, of course, also possible that Daniel was simply too absorbed in his detailed description of Abydonian yafetta plants to feel uncomfortable.

"Teal'c," Jack said quietly partway through the meal. "Something wrong?"

"I do not understand why you wish the boy to see me," Teal'c said, his voice also quiet. Carter's eyes flicked to them, but, seeing that they were speaking, she continued her conversation with Daniel, which had apparently progressed to the delicacy of the roasted lizard.

"His name is Daniel Jackson," Jack told Teal'c, "and don't look at _me_." Teal'c averted his eyes immediately. "No, I--that's an expression. I mean _he_ wanted to see you; I didn't make him."

Teal'c head tilted to one side. It was still a little unnerving how light reflected off his snake brand at certain angles. "Does he seek revenge for the fate of his kin?"

"No, that's not it," Jack assured him, then hesitated. "I'm pretty sure that's not it."

And more unnerving than the tattoo was the way Teal'c's expression never seemed to change. "I am prepared to grant him retribution should he see fit, O'Neill," he said, without emotion.

"Well, _I'm_ not prepared for anyone to be granting any retribution around here," he snapped, forgetting to keep his voice down.

Daniel stopped talking mid-sentence and looked from Jack to Teal'c. It didn't escape Jack that he stared at Apophis's mark for several seconds, his hands visibly tensing around the forgotten sandwich in his hands. Jack was on the verge of getting up to usher the increasingly nervous-looking Daniel from the cell when Teal'c spoke.

"Daniel Jackson," he said, sounding very formal.

Daniel squinted up at him--maybe he really was nearsighted, like Fraiser said--and suddenly put down his somewhat squashed lunch. The tension seemed to drain out of him, and he leaned forward to ask, "What does ' _kelno'reem_ ' mean?"

Jack sat back in half-surprise, half-curiosity.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Why do you wish to know?"

"Oh," Daniel said uncertainly, then rambled, "I was wondering. You said it when we came in. And I was fairly sure _'kel nok'_ was...a...a question or something, so I thought maybe they were similar because they sound like they have similar roots, but that didn't make sense, since you said we could come in, so...I suppose...not," he finished, looking embarrassed. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

Teal'c looked faintly puzzled and turned slightly to Jack, who shrugged. "I was not aware that you spoke the language of the Goa'uld, Daniel Jackson."

"I don't," Daniel said. "Just a few words I heard a lot on Chulak, and without context, I can't really...I mean. Like ' _Kel nok.' 'Re.' 'Onak.' 'Kek.' 'Kree.'_ Oh! What does _'kree'_ mean? Everyone was saying it all the time."

There was another brief hesitation, in which Teal'c seemed to be trying to decide what was going on. Or maybe it was simply a matter of deciding which question to answer first, because Jack counted at least two in there. "' _Kree'_ can have several meanings," he said finally. "It is a call to attention, or a command to concentrate and to focus."

"So," Jack suggested, "'Yoo-hoo?'"

"I am unfamiliar with that term, O'Neill," Teal'c said at the same time that Daniel asked, "What does that mean?"

Jack held up his hands. "Never mind. Go on. _Kree_."

Daniel gave an honestly amused smile at that. Teal'c's lips moved, which Jack thought was maybe the Jaffa equivalent of a less intense frown. "Do you wish to learn more of this language, Daniel Jackson?"

"Yes!" There was no hesitation there. "Please," he added belatedly. "Um."

"Then I shall endeavor to teach you," Teal'c said. "However, my time here may be limited. I remain uncertain of how long I will be permitted to stay."

Daniel bit his lip and his smile faded at the reminder of why Teal'c was there and just how they'd all ended up at SGC. "Because you served the Goa'uld," he stated.

"Daniel..." Jack warned.

"That is correct, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered, looking stony-faced again--like a man awaiting judgment, Jack thought.

"My people served the Goa'uld, too," Daniel told him. "They worshipped Ra as their god."

"That he was not," Teal'c told him. "Ra was no more a god than Apophis."

"The Jaffa are slaves, too, aren't they," Daniel said seriously to his plate. "They are slaves to the Goa'uld, just like my people were." When Teal'c only inclined his head, Daniel went on to say, "But we fought back. We took back our freedom." He glanced at Jack, then stared at Teal'c, almost as if daring him to disagree, though his defiance didn't quite cover the vague fear that remained visible below the surface.

"It is my hope that the Jaffa will one day see as clearly as your people did and follow their example," Teal'c said, still looking straight at Daniel. Then he glanced at Jack as he added, "I believe the Tau'ri are my people's best hope for freedom. I have pledged my allegiance and any knowledge or ability I possess to helping this world in their fight against the Goa'uld."

"The Tau'ri saved us from Ra," Daniel said, nodding once.

As Jack listened to two aliens talking about Earth, it was even clearer than before that, as far as Daniel was concerned, he wasn't a Tau'ri born on the wrong planet; he was an Abydon currently stuck on the wrong planet. The history of Abydos was his as well.

"The Tau'ri have indeed proven the quality of their spirit," Teal'c agreed, and cocked his head to the side. "I would be honored to come to know yours as well, Daniel Jackson of Abydos."

Daniel seemed taken aback at that, and when he looked questioningly at Jack, his expression was still troubled. "I believe you," he said to Teal'c, but slowly, as if holding back. ' _Believe'_ wasn't the same as ' _trust_ ,' but it was a start. It was good to know, too, that there would be no claiming of retribution in the near future. Daniel stole another sidelong glance at Jack, and then the uncertainty left his eyes, leaving only curiosity. "How did you learn English? This language, I mean, this Tau'ri one."

Jack frowned, realizing as he should have before that there wasn't really any way Teal'c should have been able to speak their language.

"A small number of prisoners brought to Chulak have spoken this tongue, including a Tau'ri woman, very recently," Teal'c said. "There have been others in the past, though I know of very few planets that use this language."

"How is that possible?" Carter said. "I thought Ra was the last Goa'uld to leave Earth, and that was before people spoke English, right?"

"Your people have had no further contact with beings from other planets?" Teal'c said, looking surprised.

"Ah...no," Jack said. "Unless you count alien abduction stories. Hey, wait..." He paused, imagining Roswell aliens stepping through a Stargate. "Nah."

"In that case, Captain Carter, I do not know how this language was passed to other planets," Teal'c said, and added practically, "but it is nonetheless so."

Daniel hummed in acknowledgement, looking as though he were trying to come up with a theory on the spot that could explain it. "As long as I remain here," Teal'c told him, "you are welcome to come to learn the Goa'uld language from me, Daniel Jackson."

"I will," Daniel said, then asked, almost playfully, "You will finally teach me what ' _kelno'reem_ ' means then?"

"Indeed." Teal'c bowed his head toward Daniel, who solemnly returned the gesture.

_Huh_ , Jack thought, considering the boy with more interest as they finished their lunch.

...x...

"So," Jack said, lingering behind after Carter and Daniel took the trays and left Teal'c's cell. "Some kid, huh?"

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"You say that word a lot, don't you?" He raised a finger. "No, no, don't answer that."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Look, T, my hands are pretty much tied about the whole...you staying here, in this cell," Jack said apologetically. "Personally, I'd like you watching my back, on my team, but..."

"I understand, O'Neill."

"You shouldn't have to. That's all I'm saying." He opened the door, then asked, "You sure you don't mind Daniel bothering you? He's gonna be bored, so he might come knocking a lot."

"It is no bother for me to share my knowledge with one who opposes the Goa'uld," Teal'c said. "Nevertheless, I believe it would be wise for you to accompany him if he chooses to study with me."

That made Jack stop and turn back. "Why?"

"His eyes sought you for reassurance during our meal," Teal'c said. "I do not wish to cause him further pain."

Jack couldn't really argue against that, because he'd noticed it, too. "It doesn't look like he blames you for what happened to his family."

"Daniel Jackson appears ill at ease in my presence," Teal'c insisted. "I am not fully confident of his trust in me."

Jack crossed his arms, wondering how much of that was Teal'c's own blame of himself. It was hard to get a firm grasp of the Jaffa's state of mind: this was a man who believed so firmly in their ideals that he had broken them out of a prison on the off chance that they'd escape, then stood around not even expecting to escape with them. Jack had no illusions about what Apophis would have done to him if they hadn't taken him with them.

Teal'c continued to stare at him, though, until Jack relented and said, "If he asks for it, someone'll chaperone you two if you decide to hold Goa'uld practice sessions, but he said himself that he knew you wouldn't hurt him. You wouldn't, right?"

"On the contrary; I would protect him if the need arose," Teal'c promised.

"Well, then." Jack tried for another few moments to see what Teal'c was thinking behind the emotionless face he wore before giving up. "Hey. I'll try to be there if anyone comes to question you again."

"That is unnecessary, O'Neill."

"I know. I'll be there," he promised.

 


	4. Translations

**_14 October 1997; SGC, Earth_ **

Daniel had held a fountain pen before, but the ink in that one had been dry for years, so he had never actually written with one. This one felt odd in his hand, but he admitted that it was much easier to use than the reed or _apid_ pens from home.

Paper was more familiar--sheets like the ones on the base had been in short supply back home, but all the Earth books and notebooks had been inked on paper. That had been precious on Abydos, the irreplaceable bits of the legendary world of their ancestors that he couldn't allow to be destroyed by sand or weather or carelessness. Paper was easy to get used to--even the sheets they had to make by hand back home had the same shape and function as the sheets here, though they felt different against his fingers.

Seeing how much around the base was printed on some kind of paper or another (he'd known, logically, that America and Earth were like this, but it still surprised him a little to see sheets and sheets actually _spilling_ out of noisy machines with blinking lights), it made sense that one empty book didn't seem like much to anybody else.

"Don't mention it," Sam said when he thanked her for the notebook she had given him. "It's no big deal."

"But it is," he told her.

"What do you mean?"

He'd grown up watching books being filled with notes about culture and new languages, and when the notebooks were full, there had been scrolls. _He_ was the one in the alien culture now. He had to take notes, because...because it was better than...it was just better. Taking notes was something he knew how to do.

Daniel shrugged to Sam. She looked curious but didn't ask again.

After dinner in the commissary with Sam and Captain-Doctor Frasier ( _just Dr. Fraiser is fine_ , she'd said, _or just Janet_ , which was starting to become confusing, because how was he supposed to know whom he was allowed to call by a given name and who was supposed to be Ma'am or Doctor or Mister or Sir or Captain?), he'd gone back to see Teal'c. Sam and Janet said it was okay as long as they stuck to language lessons. He wasn't sure what else they might stick to, but he agreed because it seemed to make them happier.

In any case, Teal'c had seemed mildly surprised to see him alone. After only a few minutes of trying not to let his eyes drift to the hidden pouch where he knew the infant Goa'uld was, he'd started to wish he had asked Jack or Sam to come with him, but it would have just made him seem more like a child to them, and he had to prove to them that he wasn't. He knew he wasn't doing a very good job of it so far.

Besides, they were busy. Daniel and Teal'c were probably the only people on the base who weren't busy with something, and both of them only weren't because they weren't allowed to be. He wasn't really afraid that Teal'c would harm him, anyway. Being alone with him was just...unnerving in some vague and indescribable way.

Teal'c was a surprisingly good teacher, and by the time he'd learned that " _kek_ " really did mean what he suspected, Daniel found himself almost relaxing--this was familiar. He took notes using a phonetic hieroglyphic system, since Teal'c said it was the most common of the many writing systems used in Goa'uld (though not without variants of its own). The only real way to learn to speak was to practice, but he could at least study the written notes when he was on his own. It wasn't as though he had much else to do, anyway.

The best part had been the few minutes they'd spent speaking in Abydonian--well, Egyptian, he should say, because Teal'c spoke a different dialect from any of the ones on Abydos, but they came from the same source in Egypt. The dialects were mutually intelligible, even, and though the words had a different lilt to them, they were so achingly familiar it was like being home again, just for a moment.

Daniel switched reluctantly back into English, though. "We should practice it, to blend in with the Tau'ri," he said.

Teal'c looked curious at that. "You do not consider yourself of the Tau'ri?"

"No. I'm not really from here, not the way they are."

"But you align yourself with them against the Goa'uld."

It was a strange way to think of it, since he didn't actually have another option, but he supposed that, given a choice, he _should_ be working against the Goa'uld. Teal'c was right--helping the Tau'ri was the best way to do that, or at least the best he knew of. Skaara would have done so, if he'd had the chance, with all his stories about Captain Jack O'Neill (Colonel now, which was important because it conveyed more authority than Captain), who had freed them all from Ra. That had to count for something.

"Yes," Daniel said finally. "I align myself with the Tau'ri."

Later, he learned what _kelno'reem_ was.

"It is similar to a state of hibernation," Teal'c said.

"And then you don't have to sleep?" Daniel said, envious.

"I do not."

"Is there a special ritual for it? Or do you just...meditate?"

Teal'c sat on the floor, his legs folded under himself, as if to demonstrate. Daniel imitated his movements and his posture. "There is no need for ritual, Daniel Jackson. There are methods that may be employed to enhance focus and concentration, but they are unnecessary once you have learned to calm your mind."

Daniel left his eyes open and chewed his lip, thinking. "Why do you always call me 'Daniel Jackson?'"

"Is that not what you call yourself?" Teal'c said.

"It is, but most people just say my first name. Daniel." _Or Dan'yel_. People said it wrong here.

"Then what is the purpose of having two names?"

"You don't have to say both of them," he clarified. "'Daniel' is the name I was given when I was born. 'Jackson' is my family's name."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "I do not understand. Do you wish not to acknowledge your family?"

That surprised him into silence for a while, and when he found his voice again, he heard himself say, more subdued, "I do. Of course I do. You can call me Daniel Jackson if you want."

Teal'c nodded once. Taking in Daniel's position on the floor, he asked, "Do you seek to perform _kelno'reem_?"

For a moment, Daniel almost wanted to say 'yes,' just to try it. But then, with night falling and the hallway outside emptier than usual, he felt suddenly (and guiltily) nervous about being alone with the Jaffa, in a closed room, in near darkness, and in a state of hibernation. He thought he liked Teal'c, but it was hard not to shiver when he looked up occasionally and saw light glinting off the serpent brand of Apophis. Whether or not he blamed Teal'c for what he'd done while enslaved to a Goa'uld, images of the attack that had brought them to Chulak were difficult to erase from his mind when they were no longer occupied teaching and learning a new language. Daniel remembered that night, but he couldn't look at the memory too closely or--

He couldn't. And it didn't matter. Things had happened. Teal'c had been involved...but he'd helped them escape, too. Daniel wasn't stupid; he knew what Teal'c had risked for that. Maybe intent mattered more. Enough, anyway.

For now.

"Uh, maybe some other time," Daniel said, averting his eyes, because just thinking something couldn't make his stomach stop clenching in fear. "I think...I think maybe...I'll go to my own room, now."

Teal'c inclined his head. "Then _lek tol_ , Daniel Jackson."

Daniel rose to his feet and gave a short bow in return. "Good-bye. _Lek tol._ "

There wasn't a lock outside his own door, not like there was on Teal'c's, but that didn't make the quarters seem any less closed in. There was someone guarding the door, but Sam had assured him that was for his own safety, at least until General Hammond could give him identification that would let him access parts of the base. Her assurance didn't erase the feeling that he was always being watched, but no one bothered him, so he didn't complain.

The room was...well, not _totally_ quiet. He could pretend the soft, artificial buzz that came from the direction of the lights was the chatter of insects outside, or that the air blowing through the holes in the wall ( _vents_ , they were called, like _ventus_ , _le vent_ , _el viento_ ) was the soft sound of a breeze rustling cloth and sand.

But there were no sounds of people sleeping nearby, so he sat in the corner and read his notes on Goa'uld to himself, turning the pages loudly and listening to the sound of the words so he could pretend he wasn't sitting alone.

It would have been hard to fall asleep, anyway. Days were short here, and he wasn't tired at all by the time everyone seemed to have gone home or gone to bed.

Besides, he'd tried sleeping last night. It hadn't lasted long, and he wasn't looking forward to it again.

XXXXX

**_15 October 1997; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs_ **

The odd hours made Daniel groggy the next morning, sitting in Sam's laboratory (on a stool, because sitting on the floor only made him seem more alien to everyone else) and alternately reading about stars and scribbling in the notebook out of boredom.

He looked up when there was a knock on the door. Sam didn't seem to notice, and he debated for a moment trying to catch her attention. He needn't have worried, however, because the person in the hallway pushed the door open without waiting for a response.

The dark-haired man at the door wore glasses, like Sergeant Siler did sometimes. Many people here wore glasses; back home, glasses were special, something Daniel had only ever seen one person wear. This man was older than Bolaa or Skaara but younger than Jack--maybe Sam's age--and he held his head low instead of walking in with confidence, like Daniel's brothers would have.

_Deferring to a higher member of the group_ , Daniel thought, mentally fitting the new arrival into the SGC hierarchy that he was still struggling to understand.

Sure enough, the man's voice was timid when he said, "Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Sam Carter. Do you know where I can find him?"

Sam finally turned toward the door. "I'm Sam Carter. Can I help you?"

"Oh, I, er...sorry," the man stammered. "I heard 'Sam' and I assumed...sorry. I'm Robert Rothman. I was told to...uh, report to you."

Daniel stayed where he was seated, content to observe and see what Dr. Rothman was like. Sam was standing now and extended an arm. "Dr. Rothman. I hope your trip was all right." Rothman shifted a folder to the crook of his left arm, presumably to clasp Sam's arm in return, but the folder dropped before they could exchange the gesture of greeting, paper spilling onto the floor.

Daniel watched, bemused, as both of them dropped to their haunches to pick up the scattered sheets, exclaiming "Sorry" and "No, my fault" and "No, no, let me" over each other. Eventually, the papers were gathered, if somewhat more haphazardly than they'd been before. They'd missed a few sheets, however, which had drifted close to where Daniel sat, so he put his book down and picked them up.

"You missed these," Daniel told them as he carried the sheets over, but he wasn't sure whether to offer them to Rothman or Sam. The papers had pictures of hieroglyphs on them, though, so he decided to push them toward Rothman, who Jack said studied Egypt.

Rothman didn't take them, however, giving Daniel a few moments to take a closer look at the pictures. "Hi," the man finally said, raising the pitch at the end of the word like a question. "Um...who are you?"

This time, it was Daniel who was too distracted to answer. He frowned at a familiar sheet with his own handwriting on it and glanced up at Sam. He paged through the other two sheets he held. "These are... Sam?"

"Dr. Carter?" Rothman said.

"Right," Sam said. "Dr. Rothman, thank you for looking those over. This is the person whose writing you see on the translations. He did the first draft, as it were."

"You mean _he_ translated these?" The deference Rothman showed for Sam was gone when he looked disbelievingly at Daniel through his thick glasses.

"Yes," Daniel answered for himself, narrowing his eyes. "I did. Yesterday. And I thought you said you weren't testing me, Sam."

Rothman blinked. "I didn't know this was a test, Dr. Carter." The man's head swung from Sam to Daniel, looking apologetic but unsure whom he was supposed to be apologetic to. "Um...who is this, by the way?"

"Dan'yel," he replied, then quickly corrected himself, " _Dan_ iel Jackson."

That was another strange thing here: constantly hearing his name spoken with an English-speaker's accent, the vowels nasalized, the emphasis shifted, the first consonant less voiced and the final one almost continuous. That used to be just for his parents, and casual English had been spoken only in private; even then, they had used Arabic or Abydonian just as often.

He looked again at Sam, who did still look a little guilty but said, "We have to be careful about everything we do in this facility. I didn't mean for it look like we don't trust your work, either of you, but double-checking can be useful."

Not wanting to whine, Daniel let it go. Rothman was starting to look even more confused than before. "Oh, the, uh, the translation's good, by the way," the man offered. "For the most part."

Daniel felt an indignant frown forming. "What do you mean, 'for the _most_ part?'" He craned his neck a little, trying to peer at the papers the other man held in his arms.

"Well, there's a phrase here..." Rothman put the papers down and was about to shuffle through them when Sam spoke.

"Actually, Dr. Rothman, why don't you hold off on that for a minute. Let me show you to another office where you will be based. We're expecting this place to get more crowded over the next few weeks. If you don't mind, you could continue your discussion there."

Rothman picked the papers back up. "No, no, I don't mind, Dr. Carter."

" _Captain_ Carter," Daniel corrected. It had taken him a while to figure that one out. At first he'd thought the military called her Captain and the scientists called her Doctor, but that wasn't true. Sergeant Siler (who wasn't a doctor even though he was a scientist) called her Captain, but so did Janet (who was a doctor but also a captain), and so did Mr. Levitt (who was a technician but not a doctor or in the military). Daniel had thought it would be easier just to call her both, but Jack said she didn't really like "Captain-Doctor" much.

"That's all right," she said, telling Rothman, "Either one is fine, Dr. Rothman."

Oh. So Daniel's conclusion was still wrong. It was very confusing.

"Are you an archaeologist?" Dr. Rothman asked her.

Sam laughed a little. "Not at all. I'm an astrophysicist, but because of the nature of this facility's work, I won't be surprised if all our departments end up collaborating a bit. I've been with the project longer than most of the scientists here, so I've been asked to show you to your office. You're one of the first to arrive, but I'm sure there'll be more people in your department hired within a short period of time."

"All right," Rothman said, and followed her. Daniel left Sam's book next to one of the computers before trotting to catch up with them, trying to catch a surreptitious look at the notes that Rothman was carrying along with the stack of pictures.

"What's wrong with my translation?" he asked again.

"Well, I wouldn't say _wrong_ , but..." Rothman frowned at him. "No offense, but who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I did those translations, didn't I?" he retorted to avoid answering the question directly. Rothman seemed to notice and looked at Sam for help.

"Does he have, you know, clearance or whatever for this stuff?" he asked as they all stepped into the elevator. Daniel bit his lip impatiently to stop himself from reminding people yet _again_ that, on Abydos, he would have been only a short time away from completing his rite of passage to adulthood.

Sam gave him an apologetic look but nonetheless directed her words to Rothman. "Daniel's a special case. General Hammond has allowed him some access to the labs, but his involvement in particular translation projects will depend on you, and other scientists, when they arrive."

"I _was_ the one who finished the first draft of these translations," Daniel felt obligated to point out. It came out sounding testier than he'd been intending, but he had a right to this one. It was his world and his family at stake--his work, _yi shay_!

Rothman still looked a little skeptical, but he shrugged.

The office was a room bigger than Daniel's guest quarters but with a desk in the middle and the walls covered with empty shelves. Two large trunks and a bag sat in the corner. "I know you have other things that are being shipped here later," Sam was saying, "but I took the liberty of having the materials you brought with you sent to this room. Let someone know if you need help moving anything."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter," he said, staring around the room, then added, as if to be safe, "Captain."

Sam nodded, then said, "Daniel, Dr. Frasier wants to see you again, sometime before lunch today. Do you remember the way to the infirmary?"

"Yes," Daniel said. He actually only had a vague impression, but he'd probably be able to figure it out. He knew which floor, anyway, and it was a closed base; there was a limit to how lost a person could get when there were people stationed every few meters and he could ask for directions.

"Okay," Sam said, smiling at both of them. "Tell someone if you need anything."

When she'd left, Rothman continued to eye Daniel doubtfully. Daniel kept perfectly still, aware he was being assessed and knowing that if he was found wanting, he wouldn't be allowed in here. Finally, Rothman put down his pile of papers again and began to flip through them. "Well, the phrase I was talking about was this one, here, about the god's territory."

Daniel bent closer to the sheet, squinting, then wrinkled his eyebrows and scoffed, "You're on the wrong page. That's about something hidden and revealed by the sun."

Rothman looked surprised, and he brightened, saying, "You're right. This must be the one I was looking for."

Another test. He sighed, but clamped down on a spike of frustration, because he'd at least passed this one in Rothman's eyes. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well, nothing, specifically, but I think it's too narrow an interpretation," Rothman said.

"It's an _accurate_ interpretation," Daniel argued.

"Well, it could be," Rothman allowed, sounding like he was trying to be patient, "but there are possible alternatives. And that's just based on what we know of Ancient Egyptian culture on Earth; this writing is from a whole different planet. Who knows exactly what these people were like?"

" _Are_ ," he retorted, irked. "What they _are_ like."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Rothman agreed absently. "But my point is... Look, see, here. You saw ' _netjer'_ and interpreted it as 'Ra,' which isn't impossible, but it could easily be 'god' in general, or even a different god in particular."

"Later parts talk about the sun," Daniel pointed out. "There are several mentions of the _wedjat_."

"There are also large breaks between the pieces we have from Dr. Carter's recordings," Rothman said. "It could be a different section about someone else. Without historical context..."

"But we _have_ context," Daniel told him, realizing that Rothman didn't know much about Abydos and its history with Ra, nor did he know who Daniel was. "That's why I was specific: Abydons use that word exclusively to mean Ra. By the way, it's pronounced ' _natay_ ,' not ' _netjer'._ "

Rothman straightened. He leaned back in his chair, looking genuinely fascinated. "How do you... You know that for a fact, that Abydos has a history with Ra? Is this that thing with the parasite-alien-god...thing? People downstairs were talking about goolds or something."

Daniel let a grin spread over his face and sat down in the other chair, having found a bit of common ground with this man. Rothman was probably thinking that Daniel had been given permission to work on this because he knew Abydonian history, which was true, but not the entire truth. "The Goa'uld Ra used to rule over Abydos," he said. "They believed in other gods, too, but Ra was the only one they were allowed to worship, so ' _natay'_ always refers to him in old writings. In fact, people used to swear in the name of ' _natay_ ,' but after the Great Rebellion, we tend to swear on _'naturu,'_ all the gods, because ' _natay'_ alone still means 'Ra' to us and we try to distance ourselves from that part of our history. I can tell you more about it, Dr. Rothman."

"Oh, you can call me Robert," the man said off-handedly. "And did you say ' _we_?' You're not seriously telling me that _you're_ from...?"

"Robert," Daniel tried out, and started again. "And yes, I am."

"Oh my god," Robert said. He leaned forward, blinked, and sat back.

" _Ay, natay'ai_ ," Daniel answered, "although, to us, that would mean ' _oh my Ra_ ,' which was my point." Robert laughed. He looked surprised at his own amusement, then relaxed a little and grinned. "I've heard stories about Ra all my life."

"I have...like, so many questions," Robert said.

"So do I," Daniel said, looking around at the trunks and wondering if they were filled with books like his parents' trunks had been. "Can we start now?"

XXXXX

**_15 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1130 hrs_ **

"So," Janet said when he walked into the infirmary, "have you been settling in okay?"

Daniel shrugged. Janet was nice--more than nice, really--but he hated having to sit on one of the white beds, staring at the white walls and ceilings, waiting for one of the people, dressed all in white, to examine him.

"Did you spend the morning with Captain--with Sam?" she prompted.

"No--with Robert. Dr. Rothman. He's an Egyptologist," he explained.

"Oh, really? I'll bet you two have a lot to talk about."

"He's very smart," Daniel said, despite his first impressions of the man. "I'm faster with the hieroglyphs, but he's seen a lot more cultures than I have, he knows some languages I don't, and he's been showing me the kinds of things you're supposed to pay attention to in research. And he let me borrow one of his archaeology textbooks to read. I could learn about languages on Abydos, but not advanced techniques used in archaeology."

"You must be very interested," Janet said. "Your parents were archaeologists, right?"

Daniel looked around the room. "Mm-hm. Um...am I supposed to wear those glasses?"

Janet's eyes showed something other than simple curiosity now, so Daniel gestured again to the frames in her hands. She opened her mouth and took a breath, but then closed it again. When she did speak, it was to say, "Yes, they're for you. Try them on."

"I've tried to wear glasses before," he told her. "They made everything look..." He paused, not knowing the right word. "Uh, not clear and sharp."

"They made things look _blurry_ ," Janet suggested, and Daniel filed the word away. "Well, they were probably the wrong prescription for you. Were they one of your parents' glasses?"

Daniel reached out for the frames, which were thin and plain, more like his father's than Sergeant Siler's or Robert's. He stared at them too long, he could tell, because Janet was tilting her head slowly in that way she did when she was trying to find an angle where she could see his eyes without his noticing. _Just glasses_ , he told himself firmly, and shoved them hastily onto his face.

He blinked around the room for a few moments, letting his vision adjust. "I can read the words all the way over there," he said, surprised. He caught sight of movement beyond the window in a more private part of the infirmary, which he hadn't been able to see clearly before. "'Isolation'? Does that mean someone is sick in there?" he asked.

Janet followed his gaze to the closed double doors. "Ah. Yes, in fact. Someone is, but he needs...privacy, so please don't go bothering him."

_Bothering...?_ He wouldn't do that to someone he didn't even know. Except... He looked more closely, squinting a little through the glasses, and asked curiously, "Is that Major Kawalsky? I thought he was fine yesterday." He didn't know Major Kawalsky very well, but he'd seemed like a good person.

"Daniel! What did I just say about privacy?"

Oh. "Sorry," he mumbled, looking quickly away. But he was still worried, so he asked, tentatively, "Is he going to be okay?"

For a moment, he thought Janet wasn't going to answer. Then she told him, very seriously, "Major Kawalsky is very sick right now. There's a specialist coming to try to help him. Daniel, I'm not joking about this. Don't try to get into his room, even just to visit. It's dangerous."

_'Dangerous_ ' struck him as an odd way to describe a sick man's room, but then, it was probably an illness that could be spread from person to person. "Okay," he told her honestly. "I won't. I hope he gets better."

"So do I," Janet said, and then smiled and reached out to brush aside his hair, the way Sha'uri liked to do.

Daniel quickly ducked and slid down from the bed, shifting in place uncomfortably. The glasses slipped, and he pushed them higher with a finger and wrinkled his nose. "Do I have to wear these all the time?" he asked.

Janet dropped her hand. "Not if you don't want to. The prescription is light, and I know you're used to getting around without them. I do want you wearing them any time you're reading or straining your eyes, though."

He pulled them off and was left holding them with nowhere to put them where they wouldn't be in danger of being crushed. "Um..."

A case appeared under his nose. "Keep them in here while you're not wearing them," Janet advised. "Now, take off your jacket so I can do another quick check-up."

Daniel sighed, but he'd stopped asking questions after the first hour of testing and prodding and taking pictures of things yesterday, so he lifted himself onto the gurney, let her shine a light in his eyes, and gave up on trying to keep track of what she was doing. "Am _I_ sick?" he asked when she was done.

"No, you're fine. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything," she assured him, picking up his arm and pushing up the sleeve to check his pulse. Her fingers brushed the band he wore on his wrist, and she paused. "What's this for?" she asked.

He pulled his arm back self-consciously and fingered the band himself. "My brother gave it to me," he said.

Her pen stopped moving. "Your...your brother."

"Not _blood_ brother," he said, because everyone here got confused when he said _brother_. "My...good friend." That didn't seem right, though, calling Skaara just a friend. "He taught me how to..." To fight, to play games, to hunt for wild creatures, to play tricks on Sha'uri like little brothers were supposed to do... But that wasn't it, either. It sounded unimportant that way, and it _wasn't_. Skaara was more than that. In the end, he shrugged helplessly.

Janet looked like she understood what he wanted to say, though. "Is he older than you?"

"Yes. By seven of our years. He took me to hunt, once, and I brought back a...a _ro'ri_. A small animal...I don't know the English word," he said. He hooked a finger under the simple band around his wrist. "Skaara gave this to me when we returned."

Seshmit Kasuf--' _Elder_ Kasuf' he remembered; the word people used here was _'elder'--_ and his parents had not been pleased with either of them for going without permission, but Skaara had said that he'd hunted well and had cut the leather and twisted it together for him. It wasn't as ostentatious as the wristbands Skaara wore himself to indicate his status as the leader of the _n'chaapa'ai wa'talu_ , the guards of the Stargate, but it was a mark of pride and prowess nonetheless, even if it was just between the two of them. _Especially_ because it was just between the two of them.

"Do all the boys on Abydos know how to hunt?" Janet asked.

"Not all," he replied. "We trade for much of our food. And we grow or raise some of it. But Skaara was-- _is_ \--a warrior."

If she noticed his slip, she didn't comment on it. "And you?"

"I only know what Skaara and the others taught me," he admitted. "I study books, mostly, so I can become a teacher one day, after..."

_After my parents. I was to be a teacher after them, but not yet. It wasn't supposed to happen yet._

"Is that what your parents did?" she said. "They were teachers?"

Daniel stopped toying with his wristband and, shivering, picked up his discarded jacket from the end of the gurney. "Can I put this back on?" he asked. Nights could be colder on Abydos than in the SGC, but here, it didn't become warmer during the day like it did at home. When Janet stayed silent, he added, "I'm a little cold. Is everything done?"

"You can put your jacket back on," she finally told him. There was a frown line between her brows, but she continued, "By the way, the general's gotten identification for you."

"Already?"

"Already. Now, this facility is a secret, Daniel--"

"I know," he said. "General Hammond talked to me about that."

"Did he tell you what to say if someone outside asks who you are?"

"The US military found and saved me during one of their missions," he recited dutifully. "I have been granted temporary protected status here until I can return safely to my country."

"And where are you from?" Janet said.

"I'm not allowed to say."

"All right." She looked apologetic. "Hopefully, you won't be in many situations where a cover story is necessary, but..."

"I understand." He turned the identification card over and saw his name and a photograph--an airman had taken it yesterday--along with a code and a black strip on the back, like on the other cards he'd seen people carrying.

"It won't work in most of the card swipes," she told him, "so you won't be able to get into those areas on your own. Mostly, you shouldn't need to, anyway, but the code in the corner tells what level of access you have, so if you show it to one of the SFs, he or she can open a door for you. It'll work as a guest pass to the commissary for basic supplies, too."

Which meant that he was restricted to his quarters--whose lock had been disabled when Daniel had been assigned to it--and to public areas. For anything else, like the labs or Robert's office, he'd have to depend on someone else to open it for him. Still, it was better than being under someone's eye all the time. He could wander around on his own, at least.

"What about using the...going to other levels of the building?" he asked, not wanting to get stuck on some level of the base and have to look for someone to get him anywhere else.

"The 'elevator,' Daniel. And that's the only thing your magnetic strip _is_ programmed for right now. We can increase access for you electronically if it becomes necessary."

He studied at the card again, and he was suddenly glad he was already sitting, or he would probably be sliding to the floor.

Daniel didn't exist on this world, which had, over the past days, been both freeing and frighteningly lonely. But now, even if this was just his name on a card, it was confirmation that he would be here, for a long time, as one of the Tau'ri. It made him feel a little like an imposter. Like an _alien_.

"Is anything wrong?" Janet said. "You look tired."

"No," he said, and promptly yawned. "A little," he amended.

She had her fists on her hips and looked torn between amusement and concern. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"A little," he admitted again. "It's just...different." That seemed to be the only adjective he could remember recently. Different. Everything was simply _different_. He tried to explain, "The nights are at different times here. And it's very quiet when I'm alone in my room."

"Oh, Daniel," she said, looking sad for some reason. "Would you prefer to stay in here at night? So someone will always be around and awake?"

"No!" he said immediately. There would be people here, but they were the wrong people. It didn't work that way. "No, thank you."

"Are you having nightmares?"

"No," he repeated without looking at her. It was mostly true, because he hadn't actually slept very much yet since the first day he'd arrived. "It's okay. I'll learn."

He'd have to. It would be a long time before he saw the deserts of Abydos again.

XXXXX

**_15 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1900 hrs_ **

Daniel was on his third circuit around the 27th sub-level--or maybe his fourth, since he'd gotten a little lost, so he wasn't sure--when he literally bumped into Jack and landed on the floor.

"Hello," Jack said, standing over him. Daniel was grateful the man didn't immediately try to help him up--it was embarrassing enough to have been knocked over to begin with--but he noted the way Jack hovered just close enough to offer a hand if needed.

"Sorry," he said automatically, scrambling to his feet and backing up a few paces.

Jack turned to look behind himself and then back the way Daniel had come. "If you're looking for somewhere to run, there's a perfectly good treadmill in the gym." Daniel suspected his face looked as blank as his mind felt as he tried to remember if he knew what a treadmill was. "I'm just saying, kid," Jack added when he didn't answer.

" _Ne_ \--I wasn't running," he protested.

There it was again, that 'kid' that Jack kept using on him, and it still grated on his nerves. He'd given up complaining about it, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe because Jack had spoken for him before in front of his boss, or because Skaara had worshipped the man's name more than he ever had Ra's, or because Jack had made it clear that 'kid' was a word to him, not an insult.

But then he'd get that look on his face...there, that one, right there! The one that said _'no, I'm not taking you seriously.'_

"I'm just trying to learn my way around," Daniel explained, not admitting that he mostly just kept moving through identical-looking corridors until he found the elevator and knew he'd gone all the way around.

"By running?" Jack said.

"I wasn't _running!_ " he insisted.

Jack stared at him. "Yeah, just walking really fast, I guess." The colonel slipped his hands into his pockets--he'd changed into different clothes, with lighter trousers and a black jacket over everything. He looked away from Daniel and around the rest of the corridor, rocking back on his heels, then said, "You should try to avoid running through these hallways, though. Especially when there are more people around."

"I _wasn't_..." He stopped, since, on second (or third) thought, maybe he had been, a little. "I didn't notice that I was," he conceded grudgingly.

"It's pretty late, Daniel. You should be getting tired by now, not...hyperactive."

Daniel bit back an automatic protest that wanted to surface at that. "I'm not tired," he lied instead.

He couldn't explain to himself why he'd started feeling like he was crawling out of his skin when the base started to empty for the night. He hadn't wanted to close his eyes and sleep, so he'd tried to go to the top level, just to see if he could catch a glimpse of what Earth looked like when it wasn't under a mountain. His card only let him reach the 12th sublevel, though, and the security person there hadn't let him go further. There was no reason to feel trapped in such a large complex where people let him go mostly as he pleased, but he couldn't help it--there were just so many _walls_.

"Ah...you gonna be able to find your way back?" Jack said.

_Probably_ , Daniel thought. "Of course," he said.

"Good. Then...I'll see you around." He gave a small wave and started to walk away.

"Jack--" Daniel said before Jack could leave.

He didn't know why he kept doing that, especially since he still wasn't sure what to make of Jack, and half of what Daniel said to him was some variant of _'No I'm not'_. But Jack lifted his eyebrows in invitation, so he blurted, "Do you know if Major Kawalsky is still sick?"

He wasn't expecting the lightning-fast response. "How did you know about that?"

"So you do know," he said uselessly, then almost flinched at the glare Jack turned on him. "I mean, I saw him when I was in the infirmary with Janet."

"Did you go into his room?" Jack demanded.

Daniel narrowed his eyes in reaction. "I know how to respect a man's privacy," he said, hearing the last few days' frustration and sleeplessness beginning to leak out between his words. "I don't need everyone here to tell me to behave. I just wanted to..." Except he didn't know why he'd asked at all. To see if the major was better? To ask what was wrong with the man? To stop Jack from leaving him alone in the hall? "...to ask if you knew."

Jack shrugged then, with an edge under the casual air, as if he were bothered or angry but didn't want people to know. "Yeah, sure, kid."

Suddenly, the word was too much and broke the last bit of control he'd had over his raw nerves, and he found himself snarling, "I'm not your kid!"

Jack snapped back, "No, you're not!"

Daniel reeled back, then gritted his teeth and turned around, but not before he saw the surprised look on Jack's face. It wasn't until he reached the elevator, pushing the button to close the door on Jack's exasperated call of "Daniel!" that he thought to wonder why he'd opened his mouth and said that in the first place.

After he pushed the door of his room shut, he almost expected to hear someone knock or maybe just fling the door open. When the clock showed that ten minutes had passed without anything happening, he released a breath in a sigh. He told himself that he was relieved.

XXXXX

**_16 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1000 hrs_ **

The next day, he was in Robert's office, helping to unpack several newly-arrived boxes that seemed to be filled solely with books--a _lot_ of books. "You've never had a real education?" Robert was asking him as he put books in order.

Daniel tried not to sound irritated or offended when he answered, because he'd learned by now that Robert said things bluntly but meant no insult. "We just have a different way of learning. Ra kept the Abydons from education for thousands of years, and the few people who did know how to read or write even a little bit had to do it in secret. So even if our way of life were more like it is here, it would be hard to have formal schools. We learn what we need to from parents or other elders."

"But you're not going to school now, for more...systematic learning? Here on Earth, I mean." Robert grinned down at the desk--he also hadn't yet gotten past his fascination with the idea that he was talking to someone for whom _'here on Earth'_ was occasionally a necessary clarification.

"I'm going back to Abydos in a year," Daniel reminded him. "It wouldn't make sense for me to go to school now. I'd be behind, anyway."

Robert accidentally dropped a book, which made him sneeze when a dust cloud floated up and made Daniel wince at the thump. "Behind? You're kidding me, right?"

"No," he answered, frowning curiously. "I know languages and some of this planet's mythology, but I don't know any of its more recent history, or how to use computers and..." He waved a hand at the mass of tangled cables sitting on and around Robert's desk. He'd nearly jumped out of his skin the first time the telephone had rung yesterday. "I don't even know what all of that is," he admitted. He'd mentally catalogued _'computer'_ and _'keyboard'_ and _'monitor'_ while with Sam yesterday, but everything still looked like a jumble to him.

Robert shrugged. "Honestly, neither do I, exactly. Sergeant...uh, something...said he'd help me get it set up later."

"That's likely Sergeant Siler," Daniel told him, remembering the man because when he wasn't in Sam's lab, he was fixing something--anything, really--around the base. "There are other things I couldn't study back home. It wouldn't have been practical there."

"Huh." Another armload of books was dumped onto the table to sort out and put in order. "So, math, natural science, things like that..."

"There are physicians in Nagada who practice medicine and know chemicals," Daniel said, "but I suppose it's very different from how it's done here, and I didn't study with them, anyway. But I _do_ know math."

"Of course, of course," Robert said, nodding his head vigorously. "Math was important to Ancient Egyptian society, I knew that."

_Abydos isn't the same as Ancient Egypt_ , Daniel thought, because things changed over thousands of years, and Egypt had a Nile like Abydos didn't, while Abydos had Ra like Egypt hadn't had since Ra fled Earth. Instead of trying to explain that, though, he finished, "But in science...I'd be far behind in the things you're thinking of." Computers, Sam's books on nuclear chemistry and the things that happened _inside_ stars...even the simplest, everyday tools and medicines Janet used were things he'd known about, vaguely, but never had the chance to see.

"You know, I should have guessed about you," Robert continued.

Daniel paused in sorting books and looked up dubiously. "What should you have guessed? That I was from another planet?" He was out of place here, but biologically, he and the other Abydons were all Tau'ri, or close enough that _alien_ should not have been a first guess.

"Well, not _that_ ," Robert said. "I couldn't say where you're from, but now I'm looking for it, I can tell you're not from around here. It's your accent."

Tamping down some embarrassment, Daniel said, "What's wrong with my accent?" It was the one thing that made him more self-conscious than any other aspect of his native culture. He'd tried to be especially observant, mimicking the way people talked, particularly when he noticed others speaking just a little differently from how he had learned it. It didn't help that not everyone here pronounced vowels the same way. The vowels in 'talk' and 'cot,' for instance--were they supposed to be the same, or weren't they? Daniel had tried both, and no one had corrected him, but maybe people were just being nice.

"Well, I haven't studied formal linguistics since I got my masters, but...I think your consonant voicing is off, sometimes," Robert said, studying him until Daniel started to fidget. "There are sounds that contrast in English by aspiration instead of voicing; you wind up not aspirating one enough and voicing the other more than most Americans would. And your diction. Well, mostly that, I guess. It's too careful--you're paying a lot of attention to sounds, I can tell."

"Are you saying I should speak less carefully?" Daniel said, listening carefully to his consonants. Too carefully? How was he supposed to be careful about being too careful?

"It's very slight--I think it's something you'll pick up with time," Robert assured him, so Daniel resolved to pay more attention and turned back to reading the spines of the books. "You know, Daniel..."

"What?"

Robert leaned back against the desk to look at him. "Once this program really gets started, there'll probably be a lot of work to do. If you wanted to help me with some of it--languages you know, for instance--I could teach what you _don't_ know as we go along. Analyzing artifacts they find on other planets..."

"People studied artifacts and archaeology on Abydos," Daniel said. Two people, specifically.

"Yes, but could they do carbon dating there?" Robert asked. "There're lots of useful concepts you probably aren't familiar with. And we'll need to compile data and records on the computer--I can teach you how to do things like that. If you're interested."

Daniel blinked at the man who'd doubted a day ago that he could read hieroglyphs. "You're asking me if I want to be your apprentice?"

"I...was going to say 'intern' or 'assistant,' but sure, same idea. You're good enough to do some things on your own, I think, and I can show you the rest. You'll be around for a while, right? Why not?"

Daniel opened his mouth to answer when Jack's voice sounded from the door. "Looking for some free labor, Rothman?"

Robert pushed himself away from the table and stumbled over a book on the floor as he whirled around. "Oh...uh, no. Sir," he added uncertainly.

"Jack," Daniel complained, though this time, the impatience was tempered by apprehension about the night before. _Stupid_ , he thought--if he'd wanted to prove he wasn't a child, yelling at Jack and then running away like a baby wasn't going to help him.

"I'm Colonel O'Neill," Jack said as an introduction. Robert looked like he wasn't sure if he'd done something wrong. "Anyway, I'm here for Daniel."

"Uh, why?" Daniel asked.

Jack's lips twisted sourly. "Teal'c is being...relocated."

"What?" Daniel put down the book in his arms. "Where? When? _Now?_ " Though he'd only been to visit Teal'c once more, after that first lesson, the Jaffa understood him in some ways like no one else here did, despite a complete lack of understanding on other levels. Fear prickled at him at the thought that one of the handful of people he knew here--who was even _kind_ to him, ironic and bizarre as it seemed--was leaving.

"Soon, yeah," Jack said. "I know you've been visiting him, so I thought you'd..."

"Can I see him before he goes?" he asked desperately, almost hopping in place. If Jack hadn't been standing in the door, he would have been out in the corridor already, heading down toward the room where Teal'c was staying. "Where is he? Is he still in his room?"

"No, he's in the infirmary," Jack said.

" _What_? Why? What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing, Daniel, shut up a second and let me talk, all right?"

Daniel shut up and anxiously followed Jack out the door, only realizing once they were already in the elevator, out of sight of the office, that he'd forgotten to answer Robert's question.

"Nothing happened to Teal'c," Jack said. "Major Kawalsky just got out of surgery, and Teal'c's visiting him before he leaves."

He almost asked 'why' again, but then a loud alarm sounded just as they stepped out into the corridor. Without thinking, he froze and clamped his hands over his ears. Jack grabbed his arm roughly and pushed him toward the wall.

"Stay here! Don't move." Three people ran around the corner carrying guns, and Daniel nodded, staring. Jack caught one of the men's arm as he passed, yelling over the sound of the alarm, "What the hell's going on?"

"It's Major Kawalsky, sir! He went crazy--knocked out the technicians in the 'gate control room!"

"Jesus, I thought they got it out of him," Jack muttered. Daniel flinched as someone came around the corner and sped past him, nearly knocking him flat. Turning to him, Jack shouted, "Go to...to the infirmary, and stay there until someone comes to get you!"

"But--" Daniel said, feeling his mouth move and not hearing his voice over the alarm.

"Stay out of the way. If you see Kawalsky, run and find somewhere to hide, you hear me?"

"I--"

"Daniel, he has a Goa'uld in him!"

For an instant, it was Apophis standing before him, his eyes boring into Daniel's, yelling orders to choose and kill and... He blinked and saw Jack's face instead.

"... _you hear me?_ "

"Y-yes," Daniel choked out past the rising tide of terror and memories of the last time people had stormed past him with guns--the last time a Goa'uld had been in the place he called home...

"Go!"

Then Jack turned around and followed the others down the hall. Daniel automatically started to follow, only to remember he was going the wrong way. Spinning around brought him into the path of someone whose face he vaguely remembered having seen before, and he ducked quickly out of the way and hurried toward the infirmary.

Only, when he thought he was getting close, he realized he'd gotten lost somewhere in the turns of the hallways-- _yi shay_ , they all looked the same!

His mind blanked in panic. Then a single set of heavy footsteps sounded around the next corner, and without thinking, he flung himself into a doorway, pressing himself against the jamb and hoping he'd stay unseen.

It wasn't Major Kawalsky. It was Teal'c, and it was clear now that this was not the man who quietly taught him the Goa'uld language; this was the warrior who had been First Prime to a powerful Goa'uld. He tore along the hallway, and Daniel started to leave his spot and call out to him. But as he drew nearer, the rage and _hatred_ on his face stood out so starkly that Daniel's words died in his throat and he could only shrink back and watch him pass.

And Daniel was at an intersection somewhere and couldn't remember which way he was supposed to go, and people weren't at their usual posts that he could ask. He took a breath, hoped his trust in the Jaffa was well-founded, and ran in the direction that Teal'c had gone.

Daniel wasn't a bad runner, and running here was easier than on the shifting Abydonian sands, but Teal'c's long legs were faster, and before long, he lost sight of Teal'c, too. He heard a door open, though, and rounded a corner to see the door to the stairwell swinging shut, so he followed the echoing sounds of Teal'c's footsteps downward.

Then, a flash of dark skin caught his eye, and he rushed down the nearest corridor toward where Teal'c had disappeared, stopping short in an open doorway as he realized where he was.

Immediately, he knew what his mistake was. Teal'c would never have run for safety. Teal'c had run toward danger, and Daniel had followed him there.

The Stargate was active, the shimmering pool that Sam called the event horizon rippling across the ring. Major Kawalsky stood at the base of the ramp, back far too straight for a man who'd just had surgery and his posture screaming arrogant confidence. Teal'c stood partway up the ramp like a one-man wall, somehow managing to look like he was blocking the whole path.

A Goa'uld, Jack said. A Goa'uld in the major, just like there was one in Skaara and Sha'uri and just like the tyrant that enslaved his people and just like the monster that had ordered his parents killed...

Neither of them noticed Daniel. His legs were frozen and knew he wouldn't be able to run even though his mind had woken up enough to tell him to move _, ay naturu, move!_ There was a metal shield over the control room window, but it rose as he watched. Through the window, he saw soldiers hovering in the back of the room, some rushing out and turning toward the 'gate room. General Hammond was at the computers, with Jack, Sam, and a technician beside him.

Teal'c deep voice reverberated through the room. "You cannot pass."

Kawalsky's eyes flashed, and he bared his teeth. "You cannot stop me, _shol'va_ ," he taunted, his voice distorted _(like Apophis)_ , and Daniel's knees unlocked, leaving him to slide limply down the doorframe.

That was what Skaara was now, and Sha'uri. They were as good as dead, _dead_ , like Mama and Papa, _worse_ than dead, and they'd never get them back...

_"He's trying to get to Chulak!"_ Jack's voice called through the microphone. As if spurred by the words, Kawalsky dove toward the _chaapa'ai_. Teal'c shifted to catch him, and they collided halfway.

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and tried to disappear into the wall, but he could hear, he could _still hear,_ and they were all _screaming_...

_"Kek!" Apophis screamed. "Kree, Jaffa!"_

_Papa screamed, "Claire, no!" while she screamed, "Danny...Danny--"_

_and Teal'c heard them and turned, with his armor and his weapon and--_

Teal'c growled wordlessly at Kawalsky, who spat, _"Shol'va!"_

_\--Skaara screamed, "Na nay--Dan'yel!" and "O'Neill!"_

"Teal'c, hold him there!" Jack yelled.

_and "Skaara!" and--_

"Close the iris!"

_\--Skaara screamed, "Dan'yel, Sha'uri, shim'rota!" and they screamed and screamed and_

and he wouldn't stop, they wouldn't stop _they wouldn't stop screaming..._

"Daniel, stop!"

Someone was saying _"...na nay, na nay..."_

"Daniel!"

There were hands on him, grabbing at him, holding him in place, and he curled further into himself, away from the hands that tried to grab him. Then one of the hands left his shoulders and gripped the back of his head.

He tried frantically to squirm out, sure he was about to be yanked to his feet and taken away again, but he was only pulled forward against someone's chest. The continued stream of sound became muffled, and when he realized it was coming from him, his breath caught and he opened his eyes to see a metal tag hanging in front of a black shirt, visible between the dull green edges of an open jacket.

And then the hitching breaths became gasps, and he twined his fingers into the black fabric and buried his face, clinging with all his strength. The hand on his head stayed firmly in place and another moved to his back, rubbing slow circles into his spine.

"Slow down, Daniel," the voice said, softer now. "Slow breaths, now. Shh..."

His breaths didn't slow, though, and panic made his panting faster and faster until the black spots in his eyes began to merge into the black fabric of the shirt.

"You're safe, Danny-- _Daniel_ , you're safe. Follow me, c'mon, kid... breathe in... and out... in... out... in..."

Then he was lying still against whoever it was, tired from fighting his own mind and still terrified and confused and hopelessly lost, but the hand on his back was gentle and the body warm and heart beating _(alive, alive)_ against his cheek. He screwed up his courage and lifted his head to see Jack, distantly surprised to find worry and a hint of his own panic reflected in the older man's eyes.

"Daniel? Are you with me now?" He didn't nod, but Jack understood, anyway. "Are you hurt?"

He made himself shake his head, then, and suddenly had to _had to_ explain. "I got lost, I didn't know where I was, _ne sakhiu bew, Teal'c meiu_..." but that was as far as he got before a single sob tried to shudder through him. "...s-saw Teal'c and then the major..."

"Hey, _hey_..."

"...his voice, and I thought...I heard... _Apophis sa'djiu, ay naturu_ , _mahiu_...forgot it wasn't Apophis, it couldn't be, _ta'pwah_..."

"No, kid. Don't think about it."

" _..ta'pwah yu..._ "

His throat closed off, and meaningless shushing sounds went on over his head.

Reason came back to him in a flood. He couldn't bring himself to turn away from the familiar form before him to look for himself, but he forced himself to ask the question. "Major Kawalsky? What happened?"

Jack's face shuttered, and Daniel knew the answer even before he heard, "Major Kawalsky didn't make it."

Daniel started to shake, this time not because it was cold in the room. Jack tugged his jacket closed for him, and Daniel wrapped his arms around himself.

"It's okay, kid," Jack lied. "It's okay."

"It's _not_ okay," he managed between ragged breaths, abandoning all pride and burrowing into the shirt again. "Major...and now Skaara is like that, too...and we'll never get them back they're never coming back, _ne_..."

"We don't know that, Daniel. We still might..."

"... _ne a'nensen, ne_..."

"Shh. Listen to me, Daniel. Are you listening?"

He didn't answer but closed his mouth and concentrated on breathing instead.

"Your family is still out there. We'll find them. We'll find a way to save them." Jack's hand brushed through his hair, once, then rested there, steady.

" _Ne nabi._ "

"Ne...Not? Not what?"

"Not all of them," Daniel whispered. "Can't save all of them. Not Mama and Papa."

Jack's hand stilled on his back, so Daniel knew he'd heard, but he said nothing.

Finally, Daniel pulled back and stared at Jack's shoulder. "I miss them, Jack," he mumbled, then repeated, louder, "I miss them," because he had to hear it again to be sure it was real now and they were gone, _gone_ forever.

"I know," Jack said.

"They're not coming back."

"No."

"I don't..." He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat growing larger. "I don't know what... What do I do?"

Jack didn't answer for a long while. "Nothing, for now," he said finally. "We'll figure it out. I promise." Strong arms circled around him, and he let his head fall against the sturdy shoulder, his body still trembling.

When tears started prickling at the backs of his eyes, he tightened his grip on Jack and held on, hoping it would anchor him against an overwhelming wave that was about to sweep him away. The tightness in his throat made him almost forget how to breathe again, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop a whimper from clawing its way out. But Jack tightened his hold, too, and Daniel let himself feel warm in the embrace, just for the moment.

And then shame washed him, and he pushed himself back, unable to meet Jack's eyes. "Is...is Teal'c gone? Going?"

"No, he's not. After..." An exhalation. "I figure the general won't let anyone take him away now. He just went to his room."

The relief of hearing it--and his confusion at his relief--threatened to bowl him over, so he turned away and leaned into the wall while he tried to find his feet again.

"Hey."

He looked up into Jack's eyes but had to look away again, his face burning. There were people behind Jack, out in the corridor. He could hear them muttering, whispering, and he kept his gaze fixed on the ground so he wouldn't have to see them. "'m sorry," he mumbled.

"No. No. Don't say that. Just...are you okay? Daniel?"

Daniel nodded, saying to his shoe, "Can I go to my room now?"

He refused to look up when silence drew out several seconds. "Are you sure you don't want..." The voice trailed off. "Do you want me to come with you?"

_Yes_ , he thought. "I'm sorry about Major Kawalsky," he said, because Jack should be allowed to worry about his friend, who was dead _, naturu_ , he was _dead..._

"Daniel," Jack sighed.

" _Debehiu--_ " He bit his tongue. English. He could do this. "Can I be alone?"

In the end, he let Airman Banks escort him to his room while Jack saw to Major Kawalsky. He was too numb to blush, but humiliation still crept up at the memory of getting lost and wandering the halls in a panic, and then clinging to Jack like it was all that could hold him together, even though he thought maybe it was, so he followed Banks and kept his eyes to the floor and didn't have to say anything to anyone he saw.

Half an hour later, it felt like the room was suffocating him, squeezing like a vise around his skull and his chest, and he couldn't focus enough to do anything but was too agitated to sleep. He tried but couldn't do anything but think about how to take one breath after another, in and out and then in again and out...

Boots stamped loudly outside, and he jumped, scrabbling backward on the floor, waiting for the door to burst open and an armored Jaffa to storm in. He closed his eyes in relief when the boots moved away, but then someone else walked past the door, and he found himself trying to hide in a corner of the room.

No one stopped him when he stumbled out, and no one stopped him when he opened Teal'c's door, either.

The Jaffa didn't rise or move at all, but surprise was clear even through the stony expression he wore. "Daniel Jackson, you--" he said, but then stopped. "Are you well?"

Daniel waited for the nervousness he often felt around the Jaffa and even stared deliberately at the glistening brand of Apophis, daring the savage warrior to burst forth and do something terrible--yell at him, take him away, tear him to pieces, anything--because he'd lived through that part already, and surely it would be better than this _thing_ trying to rip him apart from inside his head where he couldn't see it or stop it or run from it.

Teal'c was sitting on the floor, dressed not in armor but in Tau'ri cloth. His voice had lost the edge of command and was instead uncertain.

And Daniel stared and stared and willed something to happen, but all he could feel was exhaustion and the bewildering certainty that he would be _safe_ , and Apophis couldn't and wouldn't find him here.

He closed the door behind him, leaned back against the wall, and heard himself say, " _Debehiu_ _kelno'reem_ _hano'ta?_ "

It wasn't until the words came out of his mouth that he realized he was still speaking in his mother tongue, but he couldn't summon enough energy to think and force the question out in English. It was close enough to Teal'c's dialect. Teal'c would understand.

"You wish to _kelno'reem_ with me?" Teal'c said.

He nodded once, blinking hard and shaking with the effort of holding back a rising wave of tears. " _Ti'u_."

Teal'c studied him in the dim light for a moment, then inclined his head.

Daniel let himself slide slowly down the wall to the floor, closed his eyes, and did nothing but breathe until he drifted off to sleep.


	5. Stars and Heroes

**_16 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1300 hrs_ **

"Carter," Jack called before he even reached the door to the lab. He walked in without waiting for an answer, vaguely noticing and ignoring a few new faces he'd never seen there before. "Carter, where are you?"

"Colonel O'Neill?" She came out from her back office. Her face hid nothing of her disquiet from the incident with Kawalsky just a few hours ago, but she was already shrugging off her lab coat, preparing for whatever else was next. "Is something wrong?"

"Is he in here?" Jack demanded.

"Is who here?"

"Daniel! Is he here?"

Carter's eyes widened. "No, he's not." Jack was already moving out of the lab. Carter followed him as he rushed out into the hallway. Fear pricked at Jack again, the kind of fear he thought he'd never have to feel again, after Charlie (dammit, why did Kawalsky have to have the same name?). "He's not in his room, sir?"

"No," he snapped, "and he's not with Rothman or Fraiser, either."

"Did you check the commissary, sir?"

"Yeah. Jesus. I shouldn't've...I don't know where else--"

"Teal'c?"

Jack stopped, then turned and headed for the elevator. "You think he'd go to Teal'c after that...thing in the 'gate room?" Teal'c certainly hadn't thought so. He'd taken a good look at Daniel, cringing by the blast door, and slipped out silently to report to Hammond.

Carter shook her head. "I can't think of anywhere else on this base he might go."

He exhaled sharply. "Yeah, you're right."

"You think he might have...run away or something, sir?"

_Got lost_ , his own mind supplied, and he blinked to erase the conjured image of a boy accidentally stumbling upon the armory and turning a pistol over in his hands.

Dammit, he should have stayed with the kid, his _leave-me-alone_ be damned. Maybe he shouldn't have left him by himself during an emergency to begin with. What were they thinking, keeping a kid on base--a kid from another world who probably couldn't tell a telephone ring from a fire alarm, no less?

Carter was chewing her lip and looked like she was thinking of worst-case scenarios, which, with the speed her brain worked, could probably end up being pretty bad. "There's nowhere to run. He's fine," he told her. When she didn't look convinced, he emphasized, "He's fine, Captain."

"Yes, sir," she agreed dutifully.

"And Carter, I appreciate your talking to Hammond about Teal'c earlier."

"You had your hands full, Colonel." _Full of Daniel, and then full of Charlie (Kawalsky, not O'Neill)._ "I'm glad to have Teal'c officially with us, too." Then, more quietly, "Sir, Daniel... Has he been having flashbacks? That looked like some sort of anxiety--"

"I know." He led the way off the elevator and started down the hall. Jack knew full well what had happened in that 'gate room.

"If I may..." she said. "It might be appropriate to suggest that he speak with someone--"

"It's been less than a week since this whole nightmare started, Captain," he cut her off. "Give him some time before calling in the shrinks."

To his surprise, Teal'c's door opened just before they could reach for the doorknob. Jack had a moment to register with approval that the locks had obviously been left open before the Jaffa stepped out and said, "I have been awaiting your arrival, O'Neill."

"Yeah, Teal'c," he replied, a little distractedly, "thanks for your help with the Goa'uld, and congrats on not getting shipped off to Washington, but listen, we're in a--"

"Daniel Jackson is within," Teal'c interrupted.

Huh. Well.

Carter sighed in relief. "He's okay, then?"

"He is in no bodily danger," Teal'c said, which was good but wasn't exactly the whole story. Teal'c opened the door wider with a small bow, and Jack ducked into the dark room to see Daniel curled slightly on his side on the cot. In the dim light, he could just make out the darting movements beneath the eyelids that told him the boy was fast asleep and dreaming.

"Thanks, Teal'c," he said quietly. Checking once more to make sure Daniel wasn't stirring, he decided this would be as good a time as any, now that they were all here, and he motioned to the others. "Step out a minute, both of you."

He thought for a moment of taking this to his office (which, if anyone asked about his paperwork, he didn't know existed), but the fear that Daniel might wake up alone and disoriented was enough to nix that idea. There wasn't that much he had to say, anyway.

"Here's the deal," he said. "Teal'c, General Hammond has approved your joining SG-1. Carter, your lackeys have spit out coordinates to a couple of new planets, and the general has identified the first one he wants explored. We're off for a few days. After...Major Kawalsky's service in three days' time, we'll be expected at our mission briefing at 1500 hours. We leave the next day at 0900. Any questions?"

"My 'lackeys,' sir?" Carter repeated, but resignedly, like she expected it now.

Teal'c was more pragmatic. "Are we to be accompanied by a fourth?"

"Ah, yeah, we've got a Lieutenant Hagman who'll be going with us as translator, if needed," Jack said. "I've already talked to him; you'll meet him tomorrow, if not sooner." Hagman seemed like a geek with rank, but his record was solid. Jack had his doubts about whether the man's Mandarin, Spanish, or French would really come in handy on an alien world, but he supposed it was possible. They hadn't expected Ancient Egyptian, either.

Carter frowned. "A translator. So we know what language they'll speak on the planet?"

"Not a clue," Jack told her brightly. "We're hoping that, between Hagman and Teal'c here, they'll...figure it out." She didn't look convinced, but nodded. "That's why they call us 'first contact.' So, anyway, that's the plan."

They nodded, Carter giving an automatic "yes, sir" before silence settled around them. Jack plunged his hands into his pockets. He'd seen firsthand that both of them could keep their heads in a tight spot, and he'd trust them as much as anyone on this base, but it was too new yet for their team be able to feel anything but awkward, standing around with nothing to say.

Teal'c broke the silence first. "I regret the loss of your friend Major Kawalsky, O'Neill."

Jack let his fists clench inside his pockets, where they couldn't be seen. "My friend died in the OR. You helped us stop and eliminate an enemy, Teal'c." He hesitated, remembering that the Jaffa had gone to see Kawalsky just before everything had blown up. "Did you have the doctor check you out? He attacked you, right?"

"I remain unharmed. My symbiote was able to repair what little damage I sustained."

Jack's gaze dropped without thinking to Teal'c abdomen, not that anything was visible under the BDUs he wore. He grimaced, saying, "Well, at least Junior there's good for something."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the moniker. Jack shrugged--personally, he thought 'Junior' was better than 'the worm in your gut,' which had been his first impulse.

"Sir, what planet is it we're visiting?" Carter said.

"P3X-something," he said, adding when she raised her eyebrows, "It's a weird naming system; I don't remember."

"What I meant is, we don't have any specific information about the planet?"

Before he could tell her _'no, not really,'_ there was a cry and a thump from inside Teal'c's room. Jack turned quickly to reach for the door, when it flew open, hit him in the shoulder, and bounced back. "Hey!" he yelped, at the same time that a muffled " _yi shay_ " came from inside the room. He pulled the door back open and found a rumpled and wide-eyed Daniel staring at him while rubbing his forehead.

"Hey," he said again, forcing more cheer into his voice. "You're awake."

Daniel blinked. "Jack? What are you doing here? Where's..." He took in the sight of the three of them standing together, his eyebrows drawing low in confusion. "Um..."

"You fell asleep while attempting to reach _kelno'reem_ ," Teal'c supplied.

Jack made a note to ask sometime in the near future exactly what _kelno'reem_ was. It didn't sound very exciting.

Daniel blushed and dropped his gaze. "Sorry," he muttered, tucking shaking hands into his pockets. "I didn't mean to."

"Nightmare?" Jack said mildly.

Daniel's eyes stayed on the floor. Jack cleared his throat, eliciting a twitch but no eye contact. Carter shot him a concerned glance. "So, Daniel," he tried, casting about for a new subject, "what was Rothman talking about this morning?"

"Robert?" Daniel squinted in thought at a point somewhere to the left of Jack. "He was talking about...uh, mathematics?"

"Mathemat--why?"

"I don't remember what we were...oh. He asked me if I wanted to work as his assistant."

Jack wasn't really sure how the two connected, but Carter apparently did. "You know, sir, that actually sounds like it wouldn't be too bad of an idea. Daniel's education is clearly very advanced in some areas and...well, less advanced in others. This way, he can continue learning in a way much better tailored to his abilities and help us along the way."

On-the-job training from one of the craziest minds in the country, in what was possibly the most secret complex in the world... The cynical part of Jack's mind pointed out that Rothman would, in fact, be getting an extra pair of hands out of this. On the other hand, from what he'd gathered, this was probably the closest Daniel would be able to come to the kind of learning he'd been getting from his parents before. "But why is Rothman teaching him math?" he wondered.

"That's not what I said," Daniel said. "We were talking about math in ancient Egypt."

"Ah. Well, that explains it all."

"I think the idea was that Daniel _doesn't_ need to be taught the basics, sir," Carter told him. "The ancient Egyptians had a very solid understanding of math. They were using pi and complex and precise geometry long before many civilizations even had number systems."

"Well," Jack said, "since we're off for the day, I think I'll pass on anything complex _or_ precise, and I suggest you all do the same, kids."

He was watching Daniel as he spoke, so he caught the flash of panic that darted across the boy's face, chased by a look of embarrassment as his eyes slid away. "You're lea--you're going home?" he asked in a voice that might have sounded almost casual if no one had been paying attention.

Carter jumped in first, saying, "Well, I'm sticking around for a while to work on the systems that control the Stargate. I'll be in the control room, or I'd let you spend the rest of the day with me, but I can find you after we're done." She gave him a smile that he either didn't see or didn't want to return.

"I, too, will be remaining within the SGC," Teal'c said calmly.

Jack frowned a little at the reminder. "Teal'c, are you looking for a place to stay off-base?"

"I am not, O'Neill. I have been informed by General Hammond that it would be best for me to remain here unless I am off-world."

Unbelievable. He'd saved all their asses _again_ , and still...

Correctly interpreting the look on his face, Teal'c continued, "I am not in disagreement with General Hammond on this matter. He believes the SGC may provide me some protection from Colonel Kennedy and others who believe as he does."

Okay, so that was reasonable, but... "That sucks," he said flatly. "You're okay with this?"

"I have endured far worse," Teal'c said. "I have no objection."

Since Teal'c knew what it felt like to have molten gold poured into his skin, having 'endured far worse' wasn't much comfort. Jack wasn't convinced that a man who'd just escaped a lifetime of a kind of slavery would be happy being confined anywhere, but he couldn't deny it was probably the safest option at the moment. "Still sucks," he remarked, promising, "We'll get you a better room, at least."

Daniel shuffled from one foot to the other. "I think I'll go see what Robert's doing," he said, starting to turn around.

"Actually, I just saw Rothman, and he's left for the day by now," Jack told him. "We won't have a lot of work for him until we get a chance to do a little exploring off-world, so he won't be back until tomorrow."

"Oh. Okay. I'll just...go to my room, then," he said, his voice smaller.

Come _on_. What could he possibly say to that? "Why don't you..." Jack started impulsively. Daniel tilted his head in question when nothing followed. Jack cleared his throat. "Uh, how about joining me?" he asked awkwardly.

"I thought you were going home," was the cautious answer.

"What if I checked with Doc Fraiser, and if she says you can leave base, I'll show you what planet Earth is like outside of this Mountain. I'll bring you back when I come in tomorrow."

Daniel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Really? That's allowed?"

"Sure, why not?" Jack said. "Whaddya say?"

"Well..." He threw a longing gaze upward, toward the surface. "Okay."

XXXXX

**_16 October 1997; O'Neill residence, Earth, 1430 hrs_ **

Luckily, Daniel didn't have any distinctly alien markings he'd have to cover up, unlike Teal'c would have. He spent a few moments gaping when they got to the surface, but he was quick to stop after the first few steps outside of the complex. Acting natural only extended so far for him, though, and he was constantly brushing his fingers tentatively over the metal frame of the car or surreptitiously poking at the leather of the seats. He must have been a pain in the ass as a toddler--Jack imagined him running around and trying to touch everything new.

Daniel almost freaked, though, when Jack showed him how to fasten the buckle of the car's seat-belt.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of cars," Jack teased.

"I know what cars are," Daniel said stiffly, a layer of fear prickling under the tension in his voice. "I didn't know you had to be restrained to use one." He only relaxed once they were on the road, and he found just how far he could stretch the belt as he turned to stare wide-eyed out the window at the world sprinting past them.

Jack thought about how many times Daniel had been restrained on the way to Earth and decided not to make fun about the seatbelt.

"Your sun looks different," Daniel remarked timidly as they moved.

"Don't look directly into it," Jack chided automatically, surprised at how reflexive the response still was. "What do you mean?"

"It's...just... I don't know."

"I thought the sun looked bigger on Abydos," Jack commented, "but Carter says it's actually smaller than this one. Daniel, I'm not kidding, stop staring at the sun," he repeated, and this time Daniel dropped his eyes, blinking to clear the spots from his vision.

"She also told me that Abydos is closer to its sun than Earth," he countered, "so maybe it's supposed to look bigger."

So apparently Carter _had_ been talking astronomy and such with him. "Touché," Jack said.

" _Quoi_?" Daniel said.

"What?"

"Yes." Jack took his eyes off the road to look at Daniel, who looked back, equally confused. " _Oui? Qu'est-ce qui t'a touché_?"

Jack thought sometimes that children should come with translation kit. He was going to need about ten different ones for Daniel. He had to rewind the last bit of conversation to figure out where they'd gone wrong. "Oh. No, no. ' _Touché_.' It just means that I concede your point. I don't speak French."

Daniel gave him a puzzled look but didn't comment. Jack still didn't know just how well Daniel knew English idioms. Teal'c was easy--he didn't get non-literal expressions at all--but Daniel did seem to understand some sayings, while other common clichés completely escaped him. There were must have been some things that had just never come up on Abydos.

"So you said you speak, what, ten languages or something?" Jack asked. "I count English, Abydonian, and some form of Arabic. Is there more?"

"I can communicate to some degree in more than ten," Daniel corrected, "but I'm only completely fluent in some of them, and I only speak English, Arabic, and the Nagada dialect of Abydonian natively, although I can understand most of the other major Abydonian variants. At least," he amended, "of the ones within traveling distance from Nagada."

"There are other dialects of Abydonian?" Jack said.

That earned him a look that could only be called condescending. "You have thousands of completely separate languages on this planet, yes? But you think everyone on Abydos would speak exactly the same?"

"Ah. Good point." He'd never really thought about it that way, actually, since they'd only ever been to Nagada and the surrounding desert. He'd never considered that there even were other people besides those in Nagada.

"For example, Teal'c speaks a different dialect," Daniel told him, his voice gaining confidence now that he was apparently back on more familiar ground. "We can understand each other most of the time, because what he speaks is similar to that spoken by one of the settlements several lengths down the river--"

"I don't remember seeing a river."

"It is some distance from Nagada, by the farming lands," he explained. "Nagada is by far the biggest settlement on Abydos, so ours is the most common dialect, but it's not the only one. Actually, if it weren't for the fact that Ra ruled from Nagada, for our mineral, it probably wouldn't be the...the most populous. Other parts of Abydos are more fertile, you know."

Jack reconsidered his impression of Abydos as a largely desert planet. They'd seen no more than several square miles of it, after all. "But I'm guessing people there didn't speak, say, Arabic, so..."

"My..." Daniel looked at him sideways, then said, "My parents taught me. And they brought lots of books--mostly in English, but some in other languages, so I could learn some from those, but it's not the same as actually talking to people. Talking to native speakers, I mean."

So he'd learned English from two researchers and several textbooks. That explained a few things. "Basically, you're fluent in the languages they were fluent in?"

Daniel gave him another timid glance, then explained, "When I was little, my mother tried to speak only English to me, my father only Arabic, and of course Kasuf and Sha'uri and everyone else only Abydonian. I learned others besides those, but I don't consider myself fluent in...Dutch, for example. I could communicate well, I believe, in several others, but I would sound like a foreigner. And I can read and write Latin and Greek, but we didn't practice speaking it much. No one on Earth really speaks it anymore, right?"

"Pretty much," Jack agreed. "Maybe some people in the church."

"Oh, well, it's different if it's just for religion. They say that even Ra's personal servants and priests spoke something different from Abydonian." He cocked his head to the side. "I wonder if that was a variant of the Goa'uld language. Maybe that's why some of the Goa'uld words that Teal'c is teaching me sound similar to other words I know. There could have been some linguistic borrowings over the centuries."

"Uh. Sure, maybe," Jack said. "I...really couldn't say."

They pulled into the driveway of his house, but Daniel didn't move from his seat. "This is...?"

"Home, kid. This is where I live." He stepped out and waited a few seconds, then prompted, "You planning on getting out?"

Daniel's fingers found the button that released his seatbelt and fumbled with his door's handle before he scrambled out. "Do you live here by yourself?" he asked.

"Just me, myself, and I," Jack confirmed.

"...You mean..."

" _Yes_ , Daniel, by myself."

Daniel stopped at the door and didn't go in until Jack gave him a little push from behind. Even then, he hung back, looking around at the interior of the house. "Sit," Jack told him, steering him toward a sofa. He almost went to the refrigerator for a couple of beers, out of habit, and then remembered that would be a bad idea. "Wait here a minute. I'll order some lunch. Or early dinner. Whatever." Daniel obeyed, sitting and clearly making an effort to sit still and not turn around to follow what Jack was doing.

But from the back, with his hair and the way he slouched and looked smaller than he was, he looked so much like an older Charlie (O'Neill, not Kawalsky) that Jack had to clear his throat, which made Daniel jump and turn and blink at him, and the similarities were washed away.

Once pizza was on the way, Jack walked back to the living room, flopped down in an armchair to face Daniel, and dragged it closer.

The animation that filled Daniel's face when talking about Abydonian dialects was gone. One hand picked nervously at a button on his jacket while the other curled around his stomach. Both legs were folded under himself, but tiny jitters ran through them, like he was uneasy where he was and wanted to get up and run.

Jack debated silently for a while, then picked a topic he'd been wondering about and plunged in. "You and Skaara were--are close, aren't you?"

Daniel chewed on his lower lip and nodded almost imperceptibly. "He wanted to be a soldier, like you. He talked about you all the time."

"Me?" Jack asked, surprised. "He couldn't have been more than five when I went to Abydos the first time."

A shrug. "He remembered you. He remembered _seeing_ you, anyway, and we grew up listening to people tell how you defeated Ra. Captain Jack O'Neill, with Captain Charles Kawalsky and Colonel John Michaels," he said, like he was reciting a line he'd heard over and over. "We all know the stories."

Jack kind of hated that, how people on Abydos had taken their names and made them a legend that didn't tell about the kids who'd died fighting a war that no man had dared to fight for millennia. There was a glint of something in Daniel's glances that reminded Jack that their little corner of the US Air Force--that Jack himself--was literally a living legend to the boy. He might not be afraid to talk back to them--he was a Jackson, after all--but he'd still grown up on the tales as much as Skaara and the others had. Because it bothered Jack, and because it gave him the opening he needed, he said carefully, "It wasn't just us, Daniel. Your parents made it happen, and the Abydons who fought with us. They were all heroes."

He thought at first Daniel wouldn't acknowledge the words, but pride leaked through unmistakably when he answered, "I know. Kasuf said that, but my mother ge--got embarrassed when people talked about them like that. And it's easier to make up things about someone you don't see all the time. I don't mean," he added quickly, "that I think it's making things up. I mean, you did win. Against Ra. So it's true, but..."

"It's like telephone," Jack observed.

Daniel's eyes darted toward the phone set on the wall, then back. "What?"

"There's this game..." Jack scratched the back of his head. "You tell a story, but the person who hears it gets a few details wrong or misses things, so when they tell it to someone else, it's different. And at the end it's nothing like it was when you started."

Comprehension lit up Daniel's eyes. "Like mythology. The stories of the gods change, too. Maybe it's partly _because_ of the Goa'uld, even."

"How's that?" Jack asked, mostly to humor him but genuinely curious, too, to hear what went on in the kid's brain. Both Carter and Rothman were impressed by him, after all.

"Like...my parents' books say that the goddess Ma'at stood at Ra's side, but Abydons know her name as an enemy of Ra. The Goa'ulds who took their names are probably enemies; maybe the rift between them didn't happen until Ra left Earth. And Earth has a god of thunder, but he has different names in different languages and cultures--Jupiter, Thor, Zeus--and he's worshipped differently. Some think he started as one god and the myths changed over time."

"How do you... Are there the same myths on Abydos?"

"No," Daniel said, "but we like to tell stories there. That's how we passed on our history when we couldn't write. And I always liked to listen to stories and myths, whatever world they were from." He gave a hesitant smile. "They used to ask my parents for new stories about Earth all the time, because they said they were tired of Kasuf's. We even wrote them down, as much as we could, for the people who could read them."

"So you think there were real gods at some point," Jack said, "and the Goa'uld just stole their names? Not that the stories came from the Goa'ulds themselves?"

Daniel shrugged again. "Maybe it's a little bit of both. Or maybe people just made up the stories themselves. I don't know."

"Do the Abydons--" Jack started, aware that he was treading on potentially touchy ground. "Do you believe in their gods?"

After a minute, Daniel said, "I think that _people_ believe in them and have done things because of them. Maybe it doesn't matter whether they were real. But it's still not right for the Goa'uld to hurt people in their name."

"No, of course not," Jack agreed. "That's never right."

"But I was thinking--maybe that's how the Goa'uld could pretend to be gods without making everyone suspicious, because the stories change so much over time, anyway, even on their own. Maybe if my people keep telling their stories, there'll even be Goa'ulds named O'Neill and Kawalsky one day." Daniel looked stricken as soon as the words left his mouth. " _Yi shay_. I didn't...I wasn't thinking, Jack. I can't believe I said that."

Kawalsky's glowing eyes wouldn't fade from his mind anytime soon, but at least Jack could take comfort in the knowledge that there was no confusion about it. Kawalsky's name meant something to the Abydons, and Jack would make sure it meant something to the people here, too.

"Major Kawalsky would have thought it was funny," he replied evenly.

The words didn't seem to make Daniel feel any better, though, and he blurted out, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you this morning, and I followed Teal'c to the _chaapa'ai_."

Part of him wanted to say, _'it's okay,'_ because it was so clearly what Daniel wanted to hear, but another part still remembered the horror he'd felt when he realized Daniel had been _in the room with a Goa'uld_ the whole time. He hadn't even noticed until after Charlie (Kawalsky, not O'Neill) dropped lifelessly to the ground and the Stargate deactivated, the sudden silence only then allowing Daniel's whimpers to filter through the sound system and into the control room where they'd been watching.

"Why did you?" he asked. "Why didn't you stay in the corridor if you were lost?"

Daniel shook his head, not in denial but in bewilderment, as if he didn't understand it himself. "I was following Teal'c," he repeated in a mumble. "I didn't...know what to do. And there wasn't anyone around, except Teal'c, and I _know_ him."

Teal'c, of all people, who, whatever his allegiances, was trained to kill. Daniel had to know as well as anyone what the Jaffa was capable of. "Daniel," Jack sighed.

"I just don't--I didn't know what to do," he said again.

Jack shook his head. "All right."

"What..." Daniel blinked. "All right?"

"Yeah. Well, no. It's not all right for something like that to happen." Jack rubbed a hand across his forehead. "We'll _make_ it all right. We'll think harder about safety protocols--make sure you know how to find safe places on base and what to do if something happens again."

"So that I know how to help, you mean?" Daniel said.

"No, so you don't get _hurt_ ," Jack said, wondering if anything he said penetrated Daniel's skull. "If you want to help, you'll probably be doing a lot of that with Rothman anyway."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "So does that mean I can help Robert?"

Jack was starting to wonder if Daniel's mind really just worked this way all the time--driving in maddening circles around the point until he hit some issue he could argue about--or if he was being deliberately, stubbornly evasive. "That's something you need to arrange with Dr. Rothman and maybe get the general's permission," Jack said. "It's not up to me."

"So--"

" _So_...there's one thing we need to get straight right away," he interrupted. "If you ever hear alarms on base again, do _not_ run in the same direction as Teal'c, or me or Captain Carter, or anyone else you see picking up a weapon or who might be heading toward danger, unless one of us specifically tells you to."

Daniel's ears turned red. "It was stupid," he allowed.

"Y'think?" Jack said. "Just make sure you don't do it again. I will say that I wish you'd told someone where you were going afterward. We...I was worried when I couldn't find you."

Daniel nodded slowly, his jaw muscles taut, as if he either didn't want to or couldn't answer.

Jack didn't understand what Daniel thought of Teal'c. Clearly, he had no problem falling asleep in the same room as the Jaffa, but Jack had seen the way Daniel tensed every time he looked at the gold tattoo. For his own part, Jack had carefully avoided asking Teal'c whether he'd been the one who'd murdered Claire and Melburn Jackson. He wondered sometimes if Daniel wondered.

"Why Teal'c?" Jack asked.

Daniel shook his head again, this time sliding his gaze away.

"You didn't want to stay in your room," Jack guessed.

"I don't _know_ ," Daniel said. "It was just... _empty_. And I kept thinking..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Daniel lied. Jack waited, and soon he admitted, "People were walking around, outside, and I kept thinking it was Apophis coming for us."

"Daniel, Apophis can't get you here," Jack said.

"I know that," Daniel said quickly. "I do. I'm not...I don't know why I kept thinking that. It was stupid and...and irrational. I just... It was safe with Teal'c. It felt safe there. I knew he wouldn't...he just wouldn't." He pulled his jacket tighter around himself.

"I'm glad you understand that." While it was comforting that Daniel knew the Jaffa would protect him if it came to that, a part of Jack still found it disconcertingly strange.

Daniel took a breath, then said, "He reminds me of home, a little."

" _Teal'c_ reminds you of Abydos?" Jack could think of a few ways the Jaffa might be associated with Abydos and Nagada, and none of them was good.

Daniel frowned, as if struggling for the right words. "Well, not really. But he makes me think about...things that remind me of home." He glanced up, asking with his eyes if Jack understood. Jack could only raise his eyebrows. "He speaks my native tongue. He's teaching me Goa'uld, Jack, and it's just him teaching, and me learning, and the two of us talking. It feels normal."

Jack studied the downturned face. He'd seen firsthand how Daniel could be distracted by a conversation about dialects, but... "It's just about the language," Jack said.

"W-well...and he makes me feel like I'm not an alien stuck in a building under the gr--underground. Or at least, he understands what that feels like, and he knows what the Goa'uld have done to my people...so I was worried he was going to leave," Daniel said in a rush. "I wanted to see him and make sure he was still there. Even though you said he was. And I believed you, I did, but..."

"You had to see for yourself to be sure," Jack said.

"Yes."

Because he only knew a few people on this planet--Carter, Fraiser, Rothman, Teal'c, Jack, and the general. For all they'd argued over where to put him and how to keep him safe and secret, they'd forgotten that the kid would be _lonely_. Even putting aside alien-related issues, of _course_ Daniel would have latched onto the one person who wasn't in a lab or busy all day long. "We got it straightened out; we're all here to stay now," Jack said.

But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized he couldn't promise that. Carter and Teal'c _would_ be going off-world with him and Hagman in a couple of days, and there was a reason they'd be going in armed. It was a reason they'd learned all too well on Abydos and Chulak, and the next time they stumbled on hostiles, they might not end up in a prison with a disillusioned turncoat to help them escape.

Daniel must have known it, too--it wasn't like anyone had made any effort to hide the purpose of the SGC from him, and he was far from an idiot. "It's dangerous," Daniel said, not an argument so much as a statement, "what you and the others are going to do. Going through the Stargate."

"It could be," Jack said patiently, "but we all know that. We're trained for it. And that's why we don't want to let you go through with us."

"Doing translations wouldn't be dangerous," Daniel said. When Jack didn't give in, he persisted, "Even on Abydos, keeping watch over the Stargate is the closest I will ever come to being a fighter. I was taught to study people and languages--to be a scholar and a teacher one day. Couldn't I keep doing that here?"

"That's not the point."

"Because I'm a child."

"Yes," Jack said bluntly. "To us, yes, you are."

"I don't blame people for treating me like a child--it's your culture, and it's what you're expecting. And..." he started, then stopped.

"And what?"

Daniel looked at the floor and turned a little red, as if embarrassed. "And... I suppose I haven't given anyone any reason to think of me as an adult." His face reddened more. "Especially after the way I acted this morning, when you found me in the Stargate room."

"What _I_ think," Jack said evenly, "is that a few days ago, you got dragged away from everything and everyone you know. Trust me, a lot of the grown men you see at the SGC have reacted worse than that in the past." Daniel huffed disbelievingly. Jack leaned forward seriously in his seat. "I'm not joking, kid. You've seen a lot of crap happen in a very short time. I was surprised it didn't all crash sooner."

"I thought I was stronger than that," Daniel muttered, looking frustrated and embarrassed. "Skaara would have--"

"No," Jack said firmly, understanding the feeling intimately. "This has nothing to do with being strong. You have the right to...you know, to grieve, and to..." He paused. "I know you'd rather be at home, around people you grew up with. But...me, Carter, Dr. Fraiser, heck, even the general--we won't think any less of you if you need help getting through this."

Daniel was looking down again. "At the next Solstice on Abydos, I would have come of age, if I passed my trial. I shouldn't need to--"

"What does that mean?" Jack cut him off.

"What does what mean?" Daniel said.

"Coming of age. What's it mean on Abydos, practically speaking?"

Daniel tilted his head in thought. "It means...that a person is responsible for himself and is expected to contribute to the group. He is a...an independent member of the society with no one to account for his actions but himself."

"And so you start your job or whatever, equal to everyone else?"

"Not equal. Completing the rite of passage doesn't make a person an expert. For me, I would still be a student of history and language, but I would be expected to begin to work with the other men and older boys, and to help in teaching, as well, until I became skilled enough to be called a teacher in my own right."

"Well, right here, right now, this is how it's gonna be," Jack said decisively. "I don't care if you're a fourteen-year-old student or a 'gate guard or a forty-year-old veteran soldier. After what you've been through, you need time--maybe some help from people--to...to find your footing again. So we're not gonna leave you alone and pretend we don't give a crap just because you're almost of age. And honestly, is that what you'd want? Don't tell me that's how they do it on Abydos."

Daniel wrapped his arms around himself, looking completely lost, and shook his head 'no.'

"As for the rest..." Jack sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "All right, look. It's not my decision, but if you want to keep working with Dr. Rothman and the other researchers, I won't argue. _But_ you're still a student--you will listen to Rothman, the general, Fraiser, and whomever else they put in charge, including and _especially_ when they say you're to stay on Earth until the Abydos 'gate is opened again. Agreed?"

"Yes," Daniel said quietly. "Yes. Thank you, Jack."

"Have Rothman talk to the general about it tomorrow. It's not my permission you need."

"I'm glad to have it anyway," Daniel admitted. "I just...I don't know what to do anymore."

Jack studied him until he fidgeted and glanced up. "You need time," he said again. "You've got a right to be confused, and you've got a lot to sort through--the age thing is the least of it. And even on Abydos, it's not Solstice yet. So stop trying to be an adult, at least for a little bit--just until you figure things out."

The doorbell rang before Daniel could answer, making both of them start. "Be right back," Jack said and paid for the food as quickly as he could.

When he came back and put the box down on the table, Daniel was staring at a point somewhere over his shoulder--at the small bookshelf, specifically, which wasn't a surprise, but when he finally spoke, it was to ask, "Who are they?" He wasn't looking at the books, then, but rather at the photo on the shelf.

"People I used to know," Jack said, because he didn't want to explain, except then it felt so cheap that he had to explain anyway. "My ex-wife and our son."

He could see the question in Daniel's eyes, but maybe Daniel had an idea what the answer was, too, because he glanced at another couple of photos on the mantel and asked delicately, "Did they... Are they...gone now?"

It would have been easiest to say yes, they were both gone, because they were, but Daniel's 'gone' meant 'dead,' and he couldn't make Sara dead, even if it was only in words. "My wife and I separated when Charlie--my son--died," Jack said.

Daniel nodded solemnly but didn't look away from the picture. "He looked like you," he said eventually.

There was nothing to say to that, so Jack opened the box of pizza and handed a slice to Daniel, who took his attention from Charlie to eye the pizza the same way Jack had looked at the roasted reptile on Abydos that first time. "Try it," Jack said tersely, and took a bite of his own to hide his lack of anything else to say. Daniel watched him for a minute, then did the same.

XXXXX

**_16 October 1997; O'Neill residence, Earth, 2100 hrs_ **

Later, after night had fallen, Jack gave up on trying to explain the hockey game when he noticed Daniel looking out the window instead of at the television screen.

"Hey, kid," Jack said, and maybe the change in tone was enough, because Daniel turned back to him right away, looking like he'd been caught talking during class. "C'mon. I wanna show you something."

Once they were on the roof, Daniel shivered, even bundled in one of Jack's sweaters, so Jack guided him to sit back against the wall of the house and dropped down next to him, not touching but close enough to reach. "It's a full moon," Jack commented. There were no obscuring clouds--it was a good night for stargazing.

"What's his name?" Daniel said, looking up

"We call her Luna," Jack said. He didn't have to understand wormhole theory to enjoy astronomy. "What are the Abydonian moons called?"

Daniel leaned just an inch to his right so that his shoulder touched Jack's arm. Whether or not it was an accident, he didn't move away. "The first moon--the biggest, slowest one--is n'Djehuti Ira'et." He hesitated, thinking, then said, "It means...the Eye of Djehuty, or Thoth. The smallest one is called Khonsu, the traveler. The third is Onuris, the Protector of Abydos." He made a little exhalation, like a half-laugh but not sounding amused in the least. "Onuris is a son of Ra, and he is supposed to be the protector of Abydos."

Jack glanced over at the note of bitterness coloring the words. He held his silence while Daniel edged closer and said, "We always thought there might be more who were like Ra--more pretenders. We just never knew for sure until...until Apophis. What if we find a Goa'uld who calls himself Onuris? Or Khonsu?"

Jack could only admit, "There's a lot we don't know yet." For all he knew, there was a Goa'uld somewhere who called himself Jesus. Now that they knew about resurrection technology...well, there were some things Jack didn't like to think about.

"It's not right. It's our history, and they took it, and they're...they're _ruining_ it," Daniel said angrily, huddled miserably against the wall. "My mother said history is important, whether it really happened or not. Most of the people on Abydos still believe in the gods, even after Ra--the false one, I mean, not the real Ra. And now it's all getting...twisted."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Jack offered, not knowing what a good response would be.

"It's not _me_ , particularly. I don't know if I believe in the gods the way most people there do, because of..." He made a gesture with his hand, indicating Earth. "My parents studied the gods more than they worshipped them."

"Must have been hard, growing up different from everyone."

"N...no," he replied, but carefully, choosing his words. "People looked at us differently, but not usually in a bad way. Some were curious, but mostly no one cared. I _belonged_ there, Jack, even if I wasn't the same as them. I just grew up with more traditions and history than most."

Jack wondered for a moment what it would have been like for a kid like Daniel, growing up on Earth. A boy who knew more languages than he had fingers on both hands and who occasionally spoke like he'd studied a dictionary at one point--which he might have done, because the Jacksons had brought a few to Abydos--didn't tend to find life easy among less tolerant children. Or would he have been raised completely differently, conforming to what the people around him did like the Jacksons had tried to do on another planet?

"We'll get you home, Daniel," Jack promised.

"I miss it," Daniel confided, his voice tight. "I miss _them_. Not just...I miss everyone."

"I know."

After they'd sat for a while in silence, Daniel looked upward. "Can you...do you know which star is...um..."

"Abydos's sun?"

"Yes."

Jack shook his head. "It's not...we can't see it from here." Daniel bit his lip but nodded. Jack pointed upward. "You recognize that constellation, there?" After a moment, Daniel shook his head. "That's Orion."

"The hunter?" he asked. Jack nodded, not surprised he recognized the name if not the stars. "I've never seen it like that before."

"Orion is one of the symbols we dial to get to Abydos through the Stargate," Jack told him. From Abydos, that constellation wouldn't look anything like it did here. Remembering another from the address, he shifted his arm. "There's Taurus, right next to it. For the Tau'ri," he teased.

"So you did know what I meant when I said 'taurus the bull,'" Daniel accused softly.

Jack smiled and shifted, wrapping an arm around Daniel's back. "Maybe."

"My father used to make up constellations, so he could tell me their stories," Daniel said suddenly. "He said some of them were almost the same, but there were some from Earth that we...we couldn't see on Abydos. He made up a new...a new Orion for me. And a Capricorn and a Serpens C-caput and..." He broke off with a shaky intake of breath.

Jack tightened his arm slightly when he felt the form next to him shiver harder. Daniel's head dropped onto his shoulder. "Well, we can't see Capricorn from Colorado," he said lightly, "but our Serpens Caput is up over there." Daniel didn't move his head to follow his finger, but Jack continued as if he had. "I remember seeing something that looked like Pegasus when I was on Abydos. Our Pegasus is right there, see it?"

When he felt the trembling turn into the shudders that accompanied silent tears, he pulled Daniel closer and continued his litany of all the constellations he could remember. When he ran out, he made up a few of his own and kept going.

He'd done this before, with another, smaller boy tucked under his arm, and despite the irrational feeling that he was betraying one son and another's father, he continued with names and stories that probably made less and less sense as he went on until all he could feel through Daniel's layers of clothing was a not-quite-steady rise and fall of breathing.

"I know you haven't been sleeping, kid," he said quietly to the head resting on his arm. "Are you tired?"

Daniel's head nodded against his shoulder but he didn't move otherwise. "Jack?" he whispered.

"Daniel?"

"I just... Thank you for..." Daniel swallowed audibly and pulled away until he was sitting upright. "For the stars."

"Anytime." Jack rose and pulled the boy to his feet as well. "I'm serious, Daniel. Look at me." He waited for Daniel to wipe his face and look up. "Anytime. You understand me?" He watched until Daniel nodded again and then led the way back into the house.

XXXXX

**_17 October 1997; O'Neill residence, Earth, 0100 hrs_ **

Daniel fell asleep on the living room sofa, still in the jumpsuit and too-large sweater. When Jack heard his breathing even out, he sat at the kitchen table and flipped through Claire and Melburn's journals once more, to make sure he hadn't missed anything important.

Most of the entries had been written after the actual mission, rambling notes interspersed with scattered musings about bits of Abydonian culture that he sorted into the "useful" category. Between him and Carter, that part was mostly done and had been recopied as a possible future reference. The rest of the entries--the more personal ones...

One read, _"My circadian rhythm is going haywire. People here are used to staying awake for almost twenty-four hours and then sleeping for twelve. I'm never going to adjust. On a more optimistic note, the people here marked their years starting from when Ra closed the Stargate to Earth, but now there are some who want to start their lives fresh, from the defeat of Ra. Claire's already trying to think up what to name the new era."_

Two later ones: _"Tried to make our own beer from some plant that resembles wheat. Melburn thinks it's slightly different."_ Then, _"Fermentation might have gone on too long--even Kasuf couldn't take something with that high an alcohol content, though the boys like it a little too much. I think we should let the others take care of alcohol from now on."_

Then, _"Whoever says that living in a less-advanced civilization is simple has never tried it, but it's exhilarating. Claire has debates with herself about whether she should be trying to overturn the rules that make wives do all the domestic work. She's decided she doesn't have the right to push too hard, but that hasn't gotten me out of grinding our flour."_

Another said only, _"Daniel Mshai Jackson, born 100 days before Winter Solstice, in the first year of freedom from the false god Ra after 9408 years of slavery on Abydos."_

Jack quietly closed the books. Freedom, it said, but it hadn't come without a price. He was beginning to think they, and all of Abydos and Earth, had only just begun to pay.

Movement nearby had him on his feet and in the living room in moments, where Daniel curled into himself and moaned softly. Not wanting to wake him if he didn't have to, Jack knelt beside the couch and carded his fingers through the boy's messy hair. "Shh," he whispered.

Daniel moved so that his head pressed against Jack's hand. Without opening his eyes, he mumbled, "Papa?"

"Shh, Daniel," Jack soothed. "Sleep."

Eventually, Daniel shifted again, sniffed, and settled back to sleep. Jack watched for a few minutes, then extracted his hand and turned back to the kitchen, letting his gaze linger a few extra moments on his son's picture as he passed.

He pulled a beer from the refrigerator and sat back down.

"Cheers, Charlie," he said quietly, and began to compose his friend's eulogy.


	6. Naquadah

**_23 October 1997; P3X-593; SGC, Earth; 1400 hrs_ **

"You're a very lucky man, Hagman," Colonel O'Neill said in a dangerously casual tone as they made their way toward the Stargate on P3X-593.

"Colonel," Lieutenant Hagman replied, sounding genuinely upset, "I'm sorry, sir. It was a misunderstanding--"

"If you keep talking, Lieutenant, you're going to get a lot _less_ lucky," the colonel told him. Once at the DHD, Sam reached for her MP5 and stood guard while Teal'c did the same several meters away. When several seconds passed without anything happening, she heard, "Oh, for cryin' out loud, Hagman! What the hell are you waiting for?"

Her patience having now dissipated as completely as the colonel's, Sam dropped her gun and turned. "I'll dial it up, Colonel," she said, hitting the glyphs for Earth.

"I--was I supposed to do that, ma'am?" Hagman asked her in an undertone.

"Never mind, Lieutenant," Sam snapped, slamming her palm down on the central crystal harder than strictly necessary. "Just get your GDO out."

The colonel was still muttering when he disappeared into the wormhole, Teal'c on his heels. Hagman only needed another glare from her before he followed, and Sam's last thought before she stepped through was that, with their run of luck on this trip, she wouldn't be surprised if the man had sent the wrong IDC.

Which would be unfortunate but, actually, probably the best, or at least most painless, possible way to die, since they'd hit the iris before their neurons reintegrated enough to tell them that they were dead. Unless, of course, there was some kind of sequence to the reintegration process that made the pain receptors materialize first, making it the _most_ painful possible way to die. It would be interesting to test, but she suspected it might be hard to find volunteers, not to mention collect reliable data afterward.

As it turned out, Hagman was better at using the GDO than he was at communicating with the Shavadai people, so they emerged whole and fully materialized on the ramp of the SGC, which was nice.

"Welcome back, SG-1," General Hammond greeted them. "Was your mission successful?"

"Oh, _was_ it," Colonel O'Neill said with a fake smile that made Sam want to cringe, even if she agreed. "Carter got sold into slavery, which sparked a women's rights movement that collapsed in flames--well, rocks, actually--about twenty-four hours later. There was also this nifty plant--what did it do, Carter?"

"Looked like an anesthetic, sir," she said.

"An anesthetic!" he said brightly. "We were going to bring some back with us, but they didn't really like us too much after an interesting incident of misunderstanding"--Hagman winced--"so, you know, empty-handed. And by the way, if you do decide to send someone back to P3X-593 to try again, I'd advise using a different translator and not bringing up Captain Carter's name. Sir."

Something about Teal'c's eyes looked very faintly amused at this, and he hadn't moved his gaze from Lieutenant Hagman, which Sam took to mean he was feeling some serious schadenfreude where the man was concerned. She would have felt bad, except that she almost had her carotid unwillingly introduced to the sharp edge of a knife--her hands were _not_ shaking; it was just adrenaline and annoyance--so she only cleared her throat embarrassedly.

"Right," the general said, scowling in a way that said he wasn't sure if Colonel O'Neill was _mad_ or just mad. "You're going to have to walk me through this one. We'll debrief at 1600 hours. I expect you all to have cooled off by then. Dismissed."

The colonel left the embarkation room without another glance at their translator, who hadn't been able to translate directly and had instead ended up messing things up when he'd thought he understood another language that someone on the other side spoke--

No. The colonel had ragged on Hagman for hours, and he'd probably be getting flack from people for a while. He'd screwed up, but rationally, they couldn't keep him out in the cold forever. He'd tried his best in a situation he couldn't have been prepared for, and he'd figured it out eventually, more or less.

Of course, Sam had had to wear a ridiculous dress and gotten sold like _property_ to a psycho who had actually stoned his daughter nearly to death...

Okay. Walking away would be best this time.

"Lieutenant," she said evenly as she passed, then followed Colonel O'Neill's path out of the 'gate room.

O'Neill hadn't gone far. The fake smiles and sarcasm were gone, and now he was just Very Pissed Off. "Carter," he acknowledged.

"Sir," she answered cautiously. He was pacing, which wasn't totally unusual, except that he didn't usually do it in the hallway. This restricted him to about two paces in either direction, made her a little dizzy, and also served to block the hallway, although she was relatively certain neither of those was actually his intention.

"We're getting a new guy," he told her.

"Sir?" she repeated.

"Hagman, Carter."

"We're getting a new Hagman?"

"Yes," the colonel barked, then whirled on her. "No! We're getting a new _not_ Hagman." At least he wasn't pacing anymore. Stalking toward the gear-up room was an improvement. Probably.

"Right. Sir..." Sam said.

"He screwed up," the colonel told her.

"Yes, sir, but he also managed to save Nya's life."

"Which wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if he hadn't accidentally promised a member of my team in return for sample of the magic plant! How does that even happen? Have you somehow forgotten the part where you were sold and almost got your throat slit? Because I sure haven't!"

She hadn't gotten her throat slit because Hagman had finally worked out a few words in some language that a couple of the Shavadai understood, and he'd tried to tell them it was all a mistake. No one had really cared to listen to him; it had, however, distracted Turgan long enough for Sam to fight her way away from the knife at her throat so they could run like hell, which had given Abu time to free Nya and carry her to safety before she could be killed.

"He made a mistake, sir," she said carefully. "Ultimately, he saved my life. Maybe Hagman isn't the one we want leading negotiations for us, but it doesn't mean he's not a good soldier." Frankly, Sam wouldn't want the colonel leading negotiations for them, either, but she thought it would be prudent not to mention that.

Colonel O'Neill was staring at her as if it were the most senseless thing he'd heard all day. "Between you, me, and Teal'c, I don't need another soldier. He's supposed to lead negotiations. He's the anthropologist."

Which definitely made much less sense than what she'd said. "He's a translator," she said, "and he's not a trained diplomat. All due respect, I'm not sure it's fair to act like he should automatically be our...negotiator, at least in cases when any of us is equally capable of communicating with the natives." Or equally _in_ capable, as the case had happened to be.

There was a pause as he shrugged out of his tac vest, and then, "Huh."

"Colonel?"

His anger died down a little. "You know," he said, sounding more casual again, and thankfully, this time it was the _I'm-very-ticked-off-but-not-mad-enough-for-homicide_ sort of casual, "this is the first time I've gone through the Stargate to establish a peaceful relationship with the people on the other side since Abydos. And even that wasn't strictly a meet-and-greet type of trip."

Sam wondered what that was supposed to mean, and then realized--"So, because the Jacksons acted as the linguists, diplomats, and cultural experts on that trip and were in charge of the DHD..."

"Yeah. Took care of all the non-combat stuff, basically."

"Maybe we shouldn't have expected Lieutenant Hagman to be able to do all that, sir. He probably didn't even realize we expected it of him," she added, a little more cautiously, because it was too close to direct criticism of a superior's management of the situation.

Teal'c was coming into the room as well. The colonel looked up at the Jaffa, then back to her, and instead of taking offense, he said, "I still don't want him with us."

Surprisingly, since Teal'c seemed to like staying on the sidelines during debates, at least when he wasn't looking to kill Goa'ulds, he commented, "I am in agreement with Colonel O'Neill."

Sam turned to face both of them at once. "I realize that mission didn't go down like it should've, but don't you think it's a bit much to expect someone to be able to handle _all_ non-military aspects? We might as well pick out a civilian, multilingual diplomat, then. Maybe the Jacksons did it, sir," she directed to the colonel, "but we're not likely to find someone who can replace them."

"True," he said, though the triumphant finger in the air told her that this didn't mean he was backing down. "But the point of a fourth member was to have someone who could take point in meeting the natives. If he's not going to be able to do that, why should we keep him?"

"He's another pair of eyes and arms, sir," she suggested, though she knew the lieutenant's skills in combat paled beside O'Neill's, not to mention Teal'c's. Even Sam, who had flown support planes in the Gulf but spent most of the rest of her service in a lab, had more combat experience--and was a better shot under pressure, which they all knew firsthand now--than Hagman.

"It's not worth the trouble," O'Neill decided.

She glanced at Teal'c to see what he thought; he simply stared back.

Actually, Teal'c had been standing a little closer to her than usual since that near-execution experience in Turgan's tent; in fact, the colonel had, as well, after the first fifteen minutes when he'd growled and walked about twenty feet ahead of everyone. A big part of her was tempted to agree with them; another part thought that Hagman should be given a chance, and that he shouldn't be tossed out because his mistake--which had had bad consequences but hadn't been malicious or even careless--had affected her.

Part of what Sam hated the most was that she'd been the one tied up and held helpless, and dressed like a piece of property for sale all the while. She was a capable officer and damn good in a fight, and if she was going to prove it among the men here, some of whom were already muttering about sending a woman through the Stargate and into combat...

"Carter," the colonel said exasperatedly, "one of our team could have died because of that mistake. He sold you out. _Literally_."

"Not on purpose, sir," she said, which sounded silly but was, in fact, a perfectly reasonable point.

"It's unacceptable. I want to know that if someone on my team gets screwed over, it's not by the guy next to him. Or her." He paused. "Not that I want my people to get screwed over. But if it happens, it better be by someone I can shoot without facing court-martial."

"I came out of it fine, sir," she maintained.

Colonel O'Neill kicked his locker. "Dammit, Captain, this isn't about you! I need to trust you all implicitly. I don't care if his _heart_ was in the right place. If he can't do the job, I don't want him on my team, and if that's not fair to him, _I don't care_. The same thing could have happened to Teal'c and I'd still say Hagman's gone. And I'd expect you to feel the same way."

In fact, the same thing could not have happened to Teal'c, because, for one, he would never have fit into that dress. The point was clear, anyway, besides which it was nice to hear the unspoken implication that neither she nor Teal'c was someone the colonel would fight to keep off the team.

"Yes, sir. I understand," Sam finally acknowledged. Teal'c nodded once in agreement. She still thought Hagman was a good man, but the truth was that she wouldn't be terribly upset to lose him from SG-1.

"P3X-593 was only the first of many planets to which we must eventually travel," Teal'c said. "It is best to know of any weaknesses now."

"Exactly," Colonel O'Neill said.

Sam closed her locker. "I understand," she repeated, "although General Hammond may not be as pleased." She sighed. "I almost want to go back to the planet," she started.

"Because...you're nuts?" O'Neill said.

"No, sir," she replied, "but I _am_ disappointed that we couldn't bring anything back."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged, clapping them both on the shoulder. "Can't win 'em all."

"Thus far, we have not won any at all," Teal'c informed him.

"Chulak was a win. Sort of. Look, we'll do better next time," the colonel assured him.

"I have also overheard that SG-2 was able to find several stone tablets whose writing greatly interests the researchers," Teal'c said.

Colonel O'Neill looked rather more sour at that.

XXXXX

**_23 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1530 hrs_ **

SG-2's tablets were all being hoarded by the archaeo-linguistics department, which had increased its numbers from one to four (or five, depending on whether Daniel was counted) with the addition of three philologists and translators specializing in various language families, with more likely to join pending security clearance. Sam was itching to look at these rocks and do some tests on their composition--if there were new minerals to be found on other planets, they needed to know.

From what she could see in Dr. Rothman's office, however, quantitative science wasn't a great concern at the moment. She wasn't surprised to see Daniel sitting cross-legged on the floor, using a wooden chair (which looked like it might have been stolen from an adjacent office) as a table. Interestingly, Dr. Rothman was also chair-less, probably because the other two chairs in the room had stacks of books on them and the two of them clearly hadn't taken the time to either straighten up the room or steal another chair.

"So," she said, amused as both of them startled, "I see the stereotype of military tidiness isn't rubbing off on you."

"Sam!" Daniel put down a pen and jumped to his feet. He started toward her, then stopped, an uncertain look flickering in his eyes, and stayed several feet away. "Hello," he said, excitement muted but still there.

It was good to see him animated as she hadn't seen him since they'd exchanged knowledge about wormholes and mythology on Abydos. Maybe working with Rothman was a good idea. It was a matter of being active, she suspected--she knew how it felt to turn toward studies in order to feel useful.

"We got back less than an hour ago," she told him, noticing the glasses perched on his nose for the first time she could remember, then included Dr. Rothman in her gaze to ask, "Are these the tablets SG-2 was talking about? What exactly is so special about them?"

"Captain Carter," Rothman said, "the information this could give us about naquadah alone is...is..."

"Naquadah?" she asked.

"It's what the Stargates are made of," Daniel told her. "That's the name the Goa'uld gave it."

"Naquadah," she repeated. "Sounds better than 'the Stargate element,' anyway." If she'd thought of this sooner, they could have asked Teal'c about the element. He had to know something about it, since it was being mined under Goa'uld rule, and probably under Jaffa supervision.

"It's not just the 'gate element," Rothman was saying. "This is a manufacturing record of some sort--it lists different places they went to find naquadah, where not to go, and what to make, but apparently, the Goa'uld use naquadah in practically everything. There's even mention of...well, I'm not certain, but we think it says that it's in their blood..."

"I'm not sure that's literal," Daniel put in, pushing his glasses up. "It could be an expression of how important the element is to their civilization."

"Also possible," Rothman conceded. "But that's not the best part! Captain, it's a source of energy, and there are references to...to a lot of different applications."

Sam stepped in closer to study the stone on the chair Daniel had been using. "What kinds of applications? Ones we can use or replicate?" The writing on the tablet itself was incomprehensible to her, but there was English scribbled messily onto a legal pad on the floor, and she bent to pick it up. "What language is this, anyway?"

"Well, that's one of the problems," Rothman said. "Obviously, it's a hieroglyphic system, but it took us a while to string graphemes together to make meaningful words. And then we realized that part of the problem was that we...well, weren't reading it _right_ ," he finished with a chuckle. Daniel snickered, too, making Sam suspect she was missing a joke somewhere.

"You were...reading it wrong?" she tried.

"No, we were reading it _left_ ," Daniel said delightedly. "Because it looked Hieratic!" They grinned at her together, looking for all the world like they'd been working together for months and not just days. "The Goa'uld must use some variant of it we've never seen before."

Sam experienced a brief but frightening moment of understanding how Colonel O'Neill must have felt when she'd tried to explain the dialing system's backups to him and had to resist the urge to say, _'Just bottom line it for me, Jackson.'_ It was her own fault for asking about the language. "So..."

"At first I thought it was some form of Greek, just with a different writing system," Rothman said, "because some of the words sound similar. But then Daniel found several words that sounded like Goa'uld--"

"Some of them definitely are Goa'uld," Daniel corrected, "but I don't know nearly all of them, which means it's still just a guess for the rest."

"But a good one, until we can get verification," Rothman said, "considering that there are clear signs of Goa'uld rule in the past on the planet, and considering the Goa'uld technology that this thing mentions."

"Technology such as...?" Sam prompted.

They exchanged a look. "We're still working on that," Rothman admitted. "There's a mix of Greek and Goa'uld roots, which we'll need time--and help--with, and then there's the unknown time period--it took a while just to work out their equivalent for 'electricity'--"

"We _think_ it's electricity," Daniel cautioned.

"We're pretty sure it's electricity. They've made power generators, explosives, and weapons that emit energy, but we're working on the rest."

"I'm still...are you _sure_ they're talking about naquadah in all of those cases?" Daniel said, bending down to look at the stones again.

" _Yes_ ," Rothman told him, emphatically enough that Sam suspected they'd been over that before. "It's definitely the same word."

"And there is _always_ a one-to-one correlation between lexicon and semantics, yes?" Daniel shot back. Sam decided he sounded sarcastic, which she took to mean the answer was 'no.'

"Why would you think it's not talking about the same thing?" Sam asked.

Rothman huffed. "Well, there are inconsistencies...it's a solid metal in one passage, and then a liquid in another...but it's definitely the same word. Which is significant--yes it _is_ , Daniel! A lot of cultures would give two different names to two things with different properties, but it suggests there's something...I don't know, special about this thing. Some common property to both the liquid and the solid, you know?"

"It's possible for something to exist in different physical phases," Sam said. "Maybe the working conditions were different. Or it could just have different allotropes." She looked again at the tablet and picked it up. "I can't believe this rock--"

Daniel winced, looking warily at Rothman, who indignantly corrected, "Artifact. It was made by people."

"I can't believe this _artifact_ ," she amended, "is so intact--it's like it's never been scratched or chipped. Is that common, Doctor?"

"No, you never see that in something as old as I suspect this to be," Rothman said, excited again. "It could be because the planet seemed abandoned, but even then there should be wear from weather. They're running tests on it downstairs to see if they can determine the composition, but they do know already that there's naquadah in it. We're still working on a way of dating them."

"It looks like a missing page, doesn't it," Daniel said, frowning. "They're all the same shape, so they must go together, but there are only parts of the whole thing. I keep wanting to turn the page, but they don't all fit together."

"That's how it works sometimes in this business," Rothman told him. "Missing pieces. We're lucky to have found this much." Daniel didn't look happy with that but nodded in acceptance.

Sam carefully put the tablet back down, thinking aloud, "This is what we should be looking for when we go off-world. Imagine if we could find Goa'uld power generators or weapons and managed to reverse-engineer them--we could be using naquadah for ourselves."

"And you should test for naquadah in the soil or surroundings, wherever you go," Rothman suggested. "If we do learn how to recreate those weapons or power generators, you'll need enough of the mineral to work with. Planets with large deposits nearby are more likely to have traces in the environment."

She nodded. "I'll let the general know, so we can make sure all the teams are aware of that. God," she said, the implications starting to seep in, "this could open our first real, new area of scientific study from this program." Rothman nodded at her, then grinned approvingly at Daniel, provoking a proud smile. "Good work. How are you two settling in?"

"Good, fine," Rothman said, lowering himself into a chair, which caused the books on it to topple while he stumbled out of the way. "Uh, I haven't...finished putting everything away, yet."

"Glad to hear it, Doctor," she said, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent a laugh. "How about you, Daniel? Is your room okay?" A thought struck her. "You don't have any clothes and things, do you?"

"Oh, it's fine," he assured her, his fingers beginning to fiddle nervously with the hem of his jacket. "An airman found clothes for me, like these." He gestured to his standard black T-shirt and olive drab trousers. "It's...strange to get used to them, but they're fine."

He certainly made a strange picture, dressed like a military employee, smaller than the average man on base but with hair far from regulation and an excited bounce in his stance that would have made any drill sergeant snap at him to stand still and straight. "Well, let us know if you need anything. Either of you," she added. "I need to get down to our debriefing."

As she turned to go, Daniel called, "Sam, do you think Teal'c would help us with the Goa'uld translations afterward?"

"It wouldn't hurt to ask; I'd like to ask him about naquadah myself. We're all planning on going to the gym--the gymnasium," she added for Daniel's benefit--"for some physical training, though, so it might be a while." An odd look came over his face at that, so she reassured, "You can probably find him to ask afterward." After all, Teal'c was the only person guaranteed to be on base at all times, except when they were off-world.

"Okay," Daniel agreed. "And, your mission...uh, how did the mission go?"

She frowned. "Well, not very well, but we weren't hurt and we didn't quite start a civil war, if that's what you're asking."

Daniel looked dubious at that. "Jack looked...a little..."

"You saw the colonel?"

"He stopped in to say 'hi' before you came."

Since the colonel had little probable interest in the tablets, Sam thought that was sweet of him to have come to check on Daniel, but neither of them would want to hear it. "Well, there were some problems on P3X-593, so, no, he's not very happy. I wouldn't call it a success, exactly, but we all made it home." The curiosity in his face didn't quite disappear, but he nodded. "I've got to go or I'll be late," she told them, really leaving this time. "Nice going with the tablets."

As she left, she paused in the hall when she heard Daniel ask in a hushed tone, "Everyone goes to the...gymnasium together? The men _and_ the women?"

"Sure? You know we don't segregate work by gender, mostly..." Rothman's confused voice answered slowly, and then he added hurriedly, "Oh, you're thinking _gymnos_! Uh, no. Gyms here--I mean, everyone wears clothes. You should _definitely_ wear clothes when you go to the gym."

Shaking her head, Sam continued to the elevator, deciding she didn't really need to know.

XXXXX

**_23 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1830 hrs_ **

Hand-to-hand practice that day consisted of Sam and the colonel's trying to overtake Teal'c together. It soon became clear why Teal'c had been the First Prime. Superior skill aside, his strength alone gave him enough of an advantage to win most rounds, but they'd gotten past his guard a few times as well, once they got more used to each other's styles. Eventually, the colonel suggested that Teal'c take a break so he and Sam could train together one-on-one--the only fair one-on-one match-up among the three of them unless Teal'c held back a _lot_ \--which at least let her show them that she could hold her own. She wondered whether Teal'c's strength and ability was something he got from the symbiote or from Jaffa training, or whether it was a fundamental difference in the composition of his muscles or something. Maybe all three, she decided.

The showers and lockers were shared, with a rotating schedule for men and women, so Sam left to clean up and change while the other two were still in the gym, trying to give each other pointers.

She found Daniel wandering the halls when she stepped out. Most people had left for the day, except for those on the night shift, and he was looking in the other direction when she spotted him. "Daniel," she called.

"Hello, Sam," he said, snatching back his hand from where he'd been poking at a card swipe.

"Looking for something?"

He shook his head. "I'm trying to learn where everything is," he explained, "so I won't get lost."

"You've only been here for, what, a week now? You'll learn--there's no rush."

Daniel didn't look appeased and confessed, "I got lost going to the infirmary the other day. I'd been there so many times, and I still got lost just because I was...in a hurry. I don't usually lose my way so much, but I usually have a sun to tell directions apart, too."

"If it helps any," she offered, "I'd be lost in seconds if I ever tried wandering around Abydos, so maybe it's just something you'll get used to."

He made a face. "I've lived in Nagada my whole life. I used to leave the village with people whenever they let me travel with them, but I suppose that isn't very far at all by your measure. Or by the Stargate's measure."

"I can imagine," Sam said sympathetically, even though she couldn't. She'd lived on both coasts of the country and in between by the end of high school, she'd flown in combat halfway around the world, and she'd been studying intergalactic travel for years, even if she'd only recently experienced it for the first time. Her sense of distance was very different from someone whose most fastest form of transportation had always been riding an Abydonian mastadge.

But Daniel was distracted and looking at the card reader again. "How does this work?" he asked, tilting his head to squint at it.

This she could answer. "The ID cards have a magstripe on the back with specialized, iron-based particles. By adjusting the magnetism...of..." She trailed off at his blank expression. "Well, basically, uh, the stripe on the card stores information that the reader interprets, so it knows whether or not to open the door."

Looking embarrassed, he said, "It's too complex for me to understand, yes?"

"Most people on this base wouldn't know how it works," she assured him. "If you want, I'll lend you some books on more basic physics. You can't study electricity and magnetism without knowing fundamental mechanics." It was a good thing she tended to hoard her textbooks; she might still have an introductory one floating around somewhere. "Besides," she added, "it's _always_ a good idea to have some basic understanding of physical principles."

"You don't mind?" he said uncertainly. "Okay. Thank you."

When he shuffled his feet restlessly, though, she looked down and noticed he was standing in his socks. "Daniel! You can't walk around the base without shoes. You'll step on something sharp." Sam tried to think back, but while she knew he'd been barefoot on Chulak, she couldn't remember if he'd been wearing footwear when she'd seen him on other occasions.

Daniel winced. "I know, I know. Jack told me once before, and I'm getting used to it, but I really just forgot this time."

"Well, where are your boots?" she said.

"Uh, that's the problem."

"You _lost_ your _boots_?"

"No, no. I know exactly where they are." He fidgeted sheepishly. "I took them off while we were working in Robert's office, just to rest my feet, because they feel hard and strange, and then I forgot to put them back on, and he had already gone home by the time I thought of it, so...now they're locked inside. Oh! Sam, I thought of something really interesting after you left, about the naquadah weapons we were talking about, and I was...just...what?"

She stared at him for a moment until his suddenly eager face had faded back into a questioning frown. "You're wandering around a military base in your socks, thinking about naquadah-based weapons, that's what. And for the record, I'm not sure Dr. Rothman's office floor is any safer than it is out here."

"I'm being careful about where I step," he insisted.

"You're nearsighted and not wearing your glasses."

"I'm not _that_ nearsighted--" He cut off his protest at the look on her face, then said, "I would have gone back for them if I could have gotten in. I was going to just stay in my room, but..."

"Bored?" she guessed.

"Well, I have plenty to read, but I just wanted to walk around a little. Sk--" He paused, stared at her for a second, then looked away and continued, "Skaara often tried to make me stop reading and explore with him, but now I can't seem to sit still."

Daniel didn't talk much about his family. Not to Sam, anyway; they discussed Abydos in general, but this was an offering, she thought. As much as she appreciated it, though, she didn't have the first clue how to address the issue of his missing brother and sister.

Fumbling to answer in a way that wouldn't step into anything she didn't know how to handle, Sam said, "Well...well, this is a big base, to be fair, so there's a lot to explore. My brother could never sit still at your age, either." Mark was a safe enough topic while still acknowledging what Daniel had just said. Not safe when she was talking to her dad, but Daniel wouldn't know about any of tensions that normally made talking about her family off-limits at work. "Besides, I take it you've spent most of the day studying with Dr. Rothman. You must be learning a lot from him."

"He showed me how to use the computer while SG-1 was away." He wrinkled his nose slightly. "He doesn't let me look at the keyboard while I'm typing, though. He says it's good practice. I'm very slow at transcribing words."

"You'll pick it up fast enough," she assured him. "It's a useful tool."

"I _am_ learning a lot, though," he said, his face lighting up excitedly. "He knows Greek--the ancient, not the modern--and he lets me read any of his textbooks when I'm done with my part of the translation assignments. It's very interesting to see how it differs from the bits of modern Greek I learned from my parents."

Sam had to laugh. "First hieroglyphs, then naquadah and now _more_ languages. And the colonel calls _me_ a geek."

"My parents said he used to call them that, too," Daniel confided with a lightning-quick smile. "And Robert calls me a geek sometimes."

"Now see, when a guy like Rothman calls you a geek, you know it's gotta be true," Colonel O'Neill put in. Sam turned to see him and Teal'c leaving the lockers, the former in khakis and a leather jacket and the latter in BDUs. "Carter, Daniel. We need to stop meeting in hallways like this." He paused, glancing down. "Daniel..."

"I know, Jack, shoes, but I forgot them, and they're locked inside the office," Daniel explained.

"Uh huh," the colonel said. "So, you were...hoping to find another pair on this floor?"

"No," he protested.

"You were bored."

"No, not exactly, I..." Daniel squinted up at him, then cocked his head. "Wasn't Lieutenant Hagman with you? I didn't see him in the linguistics office. I thought you were trying to train as a team."

"Yeah, well, Hammond's reassigned him to SG-4. He's going to let us operate as a three-man team for now. Three-person," he corrected with a nod in Sam's direction. "Or one-man, one-woman, one-Jaffa, one-symbiote team, so it's kinda four." Sam held back from pointing out that the symbiotic relationship meant they acted as one entity for all intents and purposes and that no one was comfortable with even the suggestion that the symbiote counted as a sentient fourth who could influence their team. "And are you changing the subject on me?"

"I was just wondering. You don't have a linguist anymore," Daniel pointed out.

"Carter speaks French."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Which I doubt we'll find off-world. And I can say _'Bonjour'_ and, uh... _'nous sommes votre amis'_. I don't think that'll cut it."

"It's 'vos _amis_ ,'" Daniel corrected.

"My point exactly, sir."

"Junior will be our front man," O'Neill said with a straight face, as if he didn't speak Arabic himself, which had undoubtedly been more useful to him in combat than French had ever been to Sam.

"Actually," Sam told Daniel, beginning to understand that she was expected to ignore most of the silly things the colonel said, "what it really means is that, if we find...things of archeological or linguistic significance, we'll send them back here for Dr. Rothman and the rest of you in the department to analyze. Other than that, we can be assigned a temporary translator for specific purposes or collaborate with another team if we need more manpower."

It also meant that she, Teal'c, and the colonel would be stuck juggling the diplomacy most of the time. The colonel's version of diplomacy tended to involve offensive witticisms. Teal'c's mostly just involved his staff weapon, but he would be helpful for interpretation sometimes, especially on Goa'uld planets, as long as people didn't run from him just because he was Jaffa. She hoped they'd get a few easier missions before having to put their roles to a real challenge.

"But, Daniel," O'Neill said, "why don't you stop wandering around for now before you cut your foot on something and end up having to find your way to the infirmary again."

Strangely, both the colonel and Daniel kind of froze after he said that, but then Daniel shook off whatever it was and said, "I wanted to tell Sam and Teal'c, about the naquadah..."

"You're like a dog with a bone, you are," the colonel told him.

"No, I'm...what?"

The colonel sighed. "Never mind."

Daniel was apparently also learning to ignore the colonel when necessary, and he turned back to her. "Uh...okay, well, Sam, you know how Robert and I said they made energy weapons using naquadah? Well, what it actually said was something about a _'bashaak'olo.'_ "

Sam looked to Teal'c, who explained, "A _bashaak_ is a wooden staff used for training Jaffa warriors. I have never heard the term _bashaak'olo_."

"That was confusing us, too," Daniel said, "so I thought maybe I'd parsed the words wrong...anyway, I still might be wrong, but it's so close that I think it's referring to a staff-like weapon that shoots energy."

Sam caught on. "Jaffa staff weapons. You're saying staff weapons are powered by naquadah, which would mean we have some of the material here, in the SGC, that we can analyze without scraping at the Stargate. Teal'c?"

"That is indeed the case," was the answer. "A Jaffa is forbidden to create his own weapon. However, we know that our weapons' power comes from naquadah, though there is not enough within to cause my symbiote to react in the same way that it would in the naquadah mines or near the Stargate."

"Your symbiote detects naquadah?" she asked him, dumbfounded at the idea.

"When the naquadah is present in very large quantities," he said, as if it were totally normal.

"Such as a mine or the Stargate."

"Indeed. The same occurs when I am near a Goa'uld."

"Well, I'll definitely have to examine some of the staff weapons in the lab," she said happily. They _had_ to let her now, and if they didn't, they would once she told them the potential uses of the research.

"That'll keep until tomorrow," Colonel O'Neill said firmly. "Go home, people." Teal'c bowed and went toward his quarters. Sometimes Sam wondered if people realized he was still acting like a First Prime, just to a different commander. Granted, it was a better commander who'd give his own life before seeing Teal'c dead, but it was there, nonetheless, and the parallel made her a little uneasy at times. Maybe it would fade as they became more familiar with each other and with their own place on the team.

"Carter, don't you dare go back to your lab to play with staff weapons on your own tonight," the colonel warned her.

"No, sir," she said. "Straight home."

"Good. Daniel, you're with me."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'll walk you to your room," O'Neill said.

"Jack, I can--"

"I have something I should give you, kid. Just go with me, here, okay?" He ushered a bewildered-looking Daniel toward the elevator, calling over his shoulder, "C'mon, Carter, elevator's closing. Unless you want to wait for the next car?"

XXXXX

**_24 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1030 hrs_ **

The lab on sublevel 21 was getting crowded, with physicists, electrical engineers, chemists, linguists, archaeologists, a biologist, and a Jaffa warrior gathered there. Dr. Forder, an inorganic chemist who'd arrived while Sam had been on P3X-593, was overseeing the experiments, but just about everyone wanted to watch.

Well, Teal'c was mostly there just to make sure they didn't kill each other with the staff weapon they were examining, but Daniel was taking advantage of his spare moments to ask him about words that he didn't understand on the tablet.

They'd worried for a moment about breaking the crystalline encasing that held the fluid in the staff weapon, which was, in all likelihood, their first sample of liquid naquadah that they had available for study. The main problem was actually not a concern for destroying the item--though she'd seen Teal'c's eyebrows twitch a little when they'd started talking about it--but rather that they didn't know how to contain the liquid.

Would the weapon discharge if it was broken? Would it corrode a plastic container? Was the staff weapon pressurized a certain way for it to remain a liquid? Would it react with oxygen in the air? Would it react with something else? Was it toxic?

Sam pointed out that it couldn't be fatally toxic upon exposure to air if the material was mined by humans--cruel as the Goa'uld might be, it would just be impractical and inefficient if their slaves died every so often. Someone else had countered that it could be slightly toxic--not enough to kill whole populations of slaves in a short time when it was just trace amounts, but more dangerous in higher concentrations.

And then there was the question of whether they should leave it intact. It was a power source, after all; if they could harness it and use it like...like an alien battery, they should try it.

In the end, since they didn't have a clue, and since Dr. Rothman and Daniel's translations hadn't had a lot of technical information (the Goa'uld hadn't been kind enough to provide an MSDS), they'd extracted the naquadah core of one weapon and left it unbroken. From another weapon, they put the naquadah core into a glove box and stood back while someone chipped carefully at it until a crack formed, making a collective flinch ripple through the lab. The naquadah flowed out to be caught in a glass flask that was immediately sealed. When it didn't do anything interesting within the first ten minutes, it was taken into the fume hood.

Daniel murmured something, but too quietly for Sam to catch. "What was that?" she asked him.

"'Naquadah in the blood,'" he repeated. "That's what one of the tablets said. I didn't think it could be actually in the blood, but..."

Sam kept an eye on the technician who was pipetting the naquadah into test tubes for assays. "It still seems unlikely," she told him. "Just being liquid doesn't mean it can flow in our blood vessels, or that it's compatible with the body at all."

"In fact," one of the chemists said, "if it is in the blood, it's more likely to be existing as an ionic compound or a complex, not a pure liquid. It's still a heavy metal, and most of the time, that's something we don't want in our bodies."

"But there _are_ metals that exist in the body," Rothman pointed out.

"And there are other metals that are poisonous even in tiny concentrations," the chemist replied.

"Well, Teal'c said his symbiote can sense naquadah, like in the mines, and it can also sense Goa'ulds," Daniel added. "Maybe that's how. Naquadah in the blood. It makes sense."

"This stuff comes from mines?" one of the other scientists asked. "Not on Earth, surely."

"We haven't discovered any on Earth, and the mineral kind might be a different allotrope," Sam answered. "As far as we can tell, the first mine--or at least a major one--was off-world, in an area called..."

"Nagada," Daniel interrupted abruptly.

Rothman sat up in interest. "Yes! The city of Nagada on Earth--Naqada in the Arabic, which might be closer to how this element's name is pronounced. Maybe the town on Abydos was named for its mines. It's really too bad we can't go back there and look for more information, not to mention a hefty supply of the material."

Daniel's shoulders stiffened at the reminder, but he nodded. "Too bad," he echoed.

The technician turned from the hood, holding up a tube. "From the way it reacts with our chemical indicators, it definitely looks like the same material as what's in the Stargate," she reported. "I'll want to do spectroscopic analysis to be more certain that the reaction caused the same color change, but I think it's safe to assume this is what we think it is. It'll take a while to learn more about its properties, though, and its exact composition if this isn't the pure element."

"It might be best for everyone not working on this to clear the area," Sam advised. "We don't know much about how reactive it is or how dangerous it might be."

"It can be used to make explosives," Rothman put in helpfully.

Several people took a step backward. Dr. Forder ordered, "Okay, everyone not directly handling reagents or equipment, please give us some space to work." He stared pointedly at Daniel, who looked conspicuously young among the crowd and left the room first with a grimace. Bill Lee, one of the new researchers who had experience as both an engineer and a geologist, quickly claimed the other naquadah core and took it to the electrical engineering lab.

"So Daniel," Sam said when they were outside, everyone having dispersed to various parts of the complex, "what did Colonel O'Neill want to show you last night?"

"Oh...he gave me two of my parents' journals," Daniel said, sounding confused but awed. "I thought everything got left behind when we were taken, but he had them. I had thought they were surely lost."

"I'm glad he did," she told him. "I'm sure they'd have wanted you to have them."

He pulled his glasses from his pocket and idly turned the frames around in his hands, looking troubled. "Sam...you didn't go to Abydos the first time, did you? With Jack and Major Kawalsky, and Colonel Michaels?"

"No, that was before my time. I was just starting to think about college, then." She hadn't even been sure she wanted to join the Air Force, at that point. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." He replaced the glasses, then folded his arms as if to stop his fingers from finding something else to play with. "Do you know if...if Jack knew my parents well?"

She'd asked the colonel that same question herself, but she wasn't sure she should be the one to answer it. "The colonel went through a lot with them," she said carefully, "but if you really want to know, you need to ask _him_ about it."

"I suppose I knew that," he admitted.

"If it helps, I don't think he'd mind."

Daniel nodded. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, then changed his mind. "What are you guys going to be doing today?"

"We're not up for a mission for a while," she told him. "I'll be in the lab or my office most of the day. The colonel has paperwork to finish, too, so...he may or may not be in his office doing that," she told him with a grin. "I'm not sure about Teal'c."

"Okay. Thank you."

"No problem. And, Daniel, let me know when you and Dr. Rothman finish working with those tablets. I'd love to examine them and pick your translations for more information." She watched fondly as he flashed her another quick smile of pride and agreed.

She turned back when he was gone, pulling the lab door open again just as she heard an explosion and saw what appeared to be a small fireball being sucked into the vents of the hood.

"What happened?" she asked, quickly noting that no one appeared to be hurt. There was smoke in the area, but no more fire that she could see. "And is that a bomb calorimeter? You know...they're not supposed to be used as actual...bombs."

"That wasn't my intention," Dr. Forder said, sounding stunned. "Well, liquid naquadah is combustible."

"I can...see that," Sam said, willing her heart rate back to normal once it was clear no one was hurt.

"That was only a very small volume of the total sample," the man told her. "We'll have to be careful with this stuff, but even if we don't learn anything else, it could always be used to make a crude bomb. We just need to find a better environment to test it in."

"Is it safe for transport?" she asked, considering the flask of liquid warily.

"Oh, the combustion reaction has a very high activation energy," he assured her. "We...might have been a little overzealous. It'll be okay unless something blows up right next to it."

A smoke alarm sounded belatedly. One of the technicians ran to turn it off.

"And," Forder added, "this hood might be out of commission for the time being."


	7. Chal'ti

**_24 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1800 hrs_ **

When the corridors began to empty for the day as usual, Daniel made his way to Teal'c's new quarters, just a couple of doors away from his own. Teal'c thought his previous room was 'adequate,' but Jack had insisted that it simply wasn't right for him to stay in a holding cell. Even Daniel, who was unused to what normal Tau'ri accommodations were like, had silently agreed that the cell was particularly unwelcoming.

Shortly after he knocked, Teal'c's voice called, "Enter." Daniel pulled the door open and poked his head in. Teal'c didn't usually perform _kelno'reem_ until later in the evening, but it still always felt less intrusive if he checked first before moving inside completely.

"Teal'c?" he asked. "Are you busy?"

" _Tek'ma'tek_ , Daniel Jackson. It is not necessary to ask that each time," Teal'c said.

"Right," Daniel said as he slipped in. "I mean, thank you. And _tek'ma'tek_ , Teal'c."

Teal'c's eyes flicked to the tablet Daniel was carrying. "Have you come to ask about the book?"

"What book?" Daniel's eyes dropped to the stone in his own hand. "This? This isn't a book, it's just a single--wait, is this a _book_?"

"Indeed."

"But it doesn't..." He turned the tablet--the book--over, peering more closely at it. "Is there something you have to do to, well...turn the page?" He mimed flipping a page with his hands. There didn't seem to be any notches, and they'd have noticed any buttons. Maybe there was a slot and they had to insert something and make it open. Or maybe that was why it was shaped so distinctly, and there was something they had to touch, so that...

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. Daniel stopped examining the object. "Another device is needed to change the image currently displayed."

_Displayed?_ The words looked--and felt--carved into the stone. "Really?" he said, dubious. "I don't understand how that works."

"I regret that I cannot explain the technology--only how it functions."

"That's okay," Daniel said distractedly, because he didn't really care about _how_ it worked so long as it _did_ work and he could find out what it said. They just had to get the other device...oh. His heart sank as he thought over the artifacts SG-2 had brought back. "I don't suppose the...page-turning device looks like one of these?" He indicated the tablet.

"It does not," Teal'c told him. "It resembles a smooth, round stone, approximately the size of a fist."

Nothing that SG-2 had brought back remotely fit the description, aside from the made-from-stone part. "There's no other way to read the rest of this?"

"There is not."

Perhaps they could go back to the planet to look, in case they'd missed something. "Well, it's good to know," he decided. "Otherwise we would have thought this was everything." Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgement, and Daniel remembered why he'd come to begin with. "Oh, I actually came here to ask you about some words, if that's okay," he explained, holding up the tablet in one hand and his notebook and pen in another. "There's a lot I don't know," he admitted, "so for now, I only brought one tablet. Uh, book."

It didn't take long to go through the words he didn't know, and, upon Teal'c's invitation, he remained sitting opposite the Jaffa on the floor to practice conversing. The grammar of Goa'uld wasn't difficult, but he knew it would take time to build up a solid, usable lexicon.

" _You are determined to learn this language_ ," Teal'c said nearly an hour later, the harsh plosives and sibilants rolling off his tongue slowly out of consideration for Daniel.

" _Yes_ ," Daniel answered, then, because a one-word answer seemed too easy, added, " _I am determined to learn it._ "

" _Will you allow me to ask a question?_ " Teal'c said. Daniel nodded, so he continued, " _I thought that you would avoid mention of your enemy, yet you study them instead. Why?"_

With anyone else--even Jack, Sam, or Robert--he might have given the quickest, simplest answer. With Teal'c, though, it felt wrong to hide something when the Jaffa had been so open with him, and Daniel didn't want Teal'c to think him dishonorable. The full answer was too complex for him to express and concentrate on what words he was speaking at the same time, and it was important to him that Teal'c not misunderstand, so he switched back to English.

"At first, it was just to have something to do," he explained. "You knew something that I could learn, and it was a distraction from..." From his parents, and his brother, and everything else, but his eyes wandered automatically to Teal'c's mark of slavery.

"You attempted to distract yourself from thinking of Apophis when you looked at me," Teal'c said bluntly.

_No, it's not that_ , Daniel almost said, but it would have been a lie. "Yes," he admitted. "But that's changed now."

"Do you no longer see Apophis in my brand, Daniel Jackson?"

"No, I don't," he said and was surprised to find it true, if only partly. "Well, yes, I do," he had to add, "but not _only_ Apophis; not anymore. It's just...part of you. Your history. Your rebellion."

He had never seen Teal'c look so off-balance. It wasn't his facial expression, which was even more rigidly frozen than usual, but his eyes that seemed to be asking. "I came through the _chaapa'ai_ to your home," he said. "It was I who led the attack."

Daniel flinched slightly at the reminder, but he shook his head. "You're different now."

"Daniel Jackson--" Teal'c hesitated, then said, "I do not seek to cause you pain. We need not speak of this now if you--"

"No!" Daniel interrupted without thinking, then repeated more calmly, "No. What were you going to say?"

Teal'c remained where he sat and bowed his head, but this time, he left his eyes lowered. "I am to blame for the abduction and deaths of your kin," he said. "Were we on Chulak, you would be fully within your rights to take my life as payment."

Daniel shivered, unsettled by the even words, and swallowed. "We are not on Chulak," he pointed out, then shivered again, even more horrified by the realization that a very tiny part of him was disappointed about that. He had never thought of himself as a vengeful person, but never before had he had reason to be. With the passage of days and weeks, the nauseating terror he had felt at the thought of his last night on Abydos was slowly turning into a desire, burning to do to the Goa'uld what they had done to him and his people. Teal'c might be on their side now, but he and his kind were still linked inextricably with the Goa'uld.

"Nevertheless, I would not move to stop you," Teal'c said. "Nor would I fault you for placing blame on me."

"You are a friend, Teal'c," he said, loudly, to drown out the whispers of resentment that he thought he'd already wiped away. "A friend. Not my enemy. It's Apophis's fault. You...you had no choice."

Saying it aloud hurt and ripped open the still-raw pain of loss, but the words helped, too. _Apophis's fault. Teal'c is a friend. Teal'c is safe. Tau'ri is safe._ Words mattered. He knew how to say the same sentence countless ways in each language he knew and make it mean something different every time. Words were important. The more he said it, the more he would believe it, without reservation.

"If you're asking for forgiveness..." Daniel started.

"I cannot ask forgiveness before you know the fullness of my crime against your kin," Teal'c cut in, almost gently.

"Don't tell me," he said quickly, desperately.

Teal'c paused, then said, "If that is what you wish."

It _was_ what he wished, but it also made him feel like a traitor to everything he knew. He had been raised to seek knowledge and truth, and what would it mean if he ignored this so easily?

Worse, it was hard to stop himself from wondering if Teal'c _was_ the one who had killed...well. Wondering whom Teal'c had killed, because he didn't doubt Teal'c had used his weapon that day. Wondering if Daniel had seen it himself, in truth, and didn't dare to remember.

"I don't want to know if you...if my parents, or anyone else...died...at your hand," he managed. He chose his words carefully, because words had meaning, and he wanted the meaning of these words to matter. "You...gave the orders to the other Jaffa. Because of that, my parents...some of my people were killed, and Skaara and Sha'uri and I were taken away. It doesn't make it better or worse if you were the one who used the weapon."

"Indeed." There was no open remorse on Teal'c's face, but Daniel had spent hours sitting with the Jaffa, talking to him and watching him, and he could see the tight discipline that held the mask in place.

"I for--" He had to clear his throat and try again. "I forgive you for that." And then Daniel wanted to cry, as if he were betraying the dead, but there was relief as well, and he had cried enough recently; he would _not_ shame himself in front of Teal'c. He breathed, slowly, once, twice, and when he next spoke, his voice was stronger. "But Apophis didn't give you any choice. And you still fought him and saved us even though you didn't know Jack would ask you to stay, and you still fight with us. That's...that's important. So you are a friend."

And when he finally released the breath he had been holding, it was like releasing a pressure he hadn't noticed before, because he didn't need any more people to be afraid of, but he was more than ready to have another he could call friend.

Teal'c finally raised his eyes from the floor and stared at him until Daniel began to feel nervous. He forced himself to stay still, knowing how important this was to the other man. Teal'c drew himself up to sit tall and straight and said, solemnly, " _Ona rak mai'ya teal'c_. I have pledged myself and my strength to the Tau'ri, and now I offer the same to you, Daniel Jackson."

"I don't want your strength," Daniel said, his voice small. "It's not like that. I don't want something in exchange."

"I have chosen my path--I am a free Jaffa. My offer is made of my own will."

Daniel bit the inside of his cheek, trying to decipher the meaning behind these words. This was an extension of friendship, in a way--not to an equal, perhaps; here, Daniel was someone weaker who needed protecting, but it was also the only thing Daniel could give back, at least in part. "I don't have any strength that you don't already have, but I promise I won't stop...opposing the Goa'uld. I hope your people can be free, too."

Teal'c answered very seriously, "Your people were freed from Goa'uld rule. You are a reminder to those who are still slaves that there is hope for a better life. And I am grateful for the skills that you provide to those who fight the Goa'uld. You would do well to remember that all strength is not measured on the battlefield, Daniel Jackson."

And just like that, Daniel was the student again, and Teal'c his teacher. He relaxed, more comfortable in this role than in that of confessor. "You stay with the Tau'ri to fight against the Goa'uld. I just want to do the same," he said earnestly.

"You will stay to fight with the Tau'ri after your year has passed?"

Daniel started. "No--I didn't mean _that_. I want to go back to Abydos. But I want to help oppose the Goa'uld. They have taken...a lot from my people."

Teal'c's eyes bored into him. "You will continue the war against the Goa'uld after you return to Abydos?"

He opened his mouth to say, _'yes, of course,'_ then closed it.

The Tau'ri did not know nearly enough yet to win this war, but they were learning and growing stronger already. Abydos was nowhere close in its capabilities; they had none of the advantages that Earth did. "I wouldn't be able to help from Abydos," he realized with a sinking feeling. "I would be helpless."

"It may be that we will discover other methods that you could employ from your home world," Teal'c said neutrally. "But it will prove more difficult."

"I want to help. I want to kill the Goa'uld. I _hate_..." He broke off. "But...I want to go home, too." He searched the Jaffa's face for any sign of an answer, wishing someone would simply tell him which was the right choice. Teal'c expression revealed nothing, and Daniel's anxiety mounted. "Teal'c, what do I do?"

"No one can decide for you," Teal'c told him, and he felt himself shrink lower where he sat. "But you have no need to make decisions today," the Jaffa continued, his tone surprisingly kind. "Use your time here to learn and observe. You have time, still, before the _chaapa'ai_ on your home world opens."

"I have time," he repeated, mostly to himself, not quite hearing.

"Daniel Jackson, if you are to make a choice, you will need longer than a scattering of days to do so," Teal'c said. "You will know when the time comes."

"You didn't need time," Daniel said. "You decided in minutes to help us."

"On the contrary," Teal'c said, "I waited many years for that day to come. The only decision I made in haste was that of trusting you and Colonel O'Neill."

That was an odd way to say it. Jack was understandable--Teal'c and Jack had the same kind of unyielding honor, even if it had different rules or showed itself in different ways. There was a fierceness about them, in their stance and in their words. But... "Me?" Daniel said. "Why would you trust me?"

"' _Ne way na ga we,'_ " Teal'c answered in his odd Abydonian accent. "You declared that day to a System Lord that you would not kneel to a false god. O'Neill stood unafraid in the face of grave danger. You both showed courage and loyalty to the boy who was chosen as a host. I believed then that your people would be the ones with the courage stand and to defeat Apophis."

"'You believed _then_ ,'" Daniel said. "And now?"

"And now that I have seen the Tau'ri's strength of spirit, my belief in them has only grown."

Daniel considered his words. "If you waited many years, did you always know that the Goa'uld are not gods? Do all Jaffa know?"

Teal'c seemed to consider the question for a long time before saying, "That is indeed a difficult question to answer. Many Jaffa believe they serve true gods. There are others who suspect the truth but believe they have no other choice. I know with certainty that there are some who wish to oppose the Goa'uld but have been unable to act."

"Then why not gather them all together? Spread the truth, and...and fight back!"

"It is not so simple, Daniel Jackson."

_We did it,_ he thought. _We did it against Ra, with a handful of boys and slaves with no knowledge of war._ "Why not?"

"Any who rebel are named _shol'va_ : traitor. The Goa'uld and their loyal Jaffa would never allow a _shol'va_ to live. If every rebel Jaffa revealed himself, every one would be killed without question. A dead Jaffa accomplishes nothing for our cause."

" _You_ took the risk and survived."

"I had nothing left to lose that day," Teal'c said. "The risk had to be taken."

_But_ , he wanted to protest, _but..._

But Abydos had been lucky. They had had surprise and help from the Tau'ri after millennia of complacency among the Goa'uld. This, now, with the Jaffa...it was much bigger. "Who taught you?" he asked. "How did you learn the truth about the Goa'uld?"

" _Tek'ma'tae_ Bra'tac."

Daniel blinked and turned around, as if someone could have entered without his notice. "Uh..."

" _Tek'ma'tae_ is a title as well as a greeting," Teal'c said, in the tone that Daniel was learning to mean he was amused. "Bra'tac was my master."

"Your _master_?" he said incredulously. "You served another master before Apophis and he told you the truth about the Goa'uld?"

Teal'c looked confused for a minute before his expression cleared. "The word _'master'_ in this language has more than one meaning. A _tek'ma'tae_ is a teacher. He is a master who trains the young ones, the _chal'ti_. Master Bra'tac showed me that what the Goa'uld would have us believe is a lie."

Interested, Daniel said, "Then he might have taught it to others, too, when they were students. When they were _chal'ti_ ," he added, trying out the new word.

"Perhaps that is so," Teal'c allowed but did not elaborate.

Out of things to say, Daniel sighed and looked back down at his notes. His glance passed the clock that stood on Teal'c's desk, and he realized it was late. He had almost forgotten that Teal'c still needed to _kelno'reem_ tonight.

"Well...thank you for spending time with me. _Rel'tor'key_ ," he said, wishing he could do something more useful than saying _'good luck with your rebellion.'_

Teal'c inclined his head again. "Until tomorrow."

" _Lek tol_ ," Daniel said in farewell, then tried, " _Tek'ma'tae_ Teal'c."

"I am no master on this world, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're my teacher," Daniel insisted. "I'm learning from you."

Teal'c studied his face. Daniel lifted his chin stubbornly. Finally, Teal'c's mouth moved in what could have been a smile. "Very well. _Lek tol, chal'ti_."

Warmed more than he could explain even to himself, Daniel stood and bowed before leaving the room.

XXXXX

**_25 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 0630 hrs_ **

"No one will mind?" Daniel asked, stepping warily into the gymnasium.

"This area is not currently in use," Teal'c stated.

"What if someone comes and wants to use it? Someone official."

"Then we shall leave. Now, _kree lo'sek._ "

_Ready yourself_ , Daniel's mind translated for him. Obeying his own words, Teal'c stepped onto the training mat and looked at him expectantly.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder once more, still feeling like he was in here without permission, though he wasn't even sure if he or Teal'c _needed_ permission. He eyed Teal'c's confident stance, the bulging muscles even more evident now that he was out of uniform. Teal'c could probably snap him in half without trying.

Still, he couldn't back down now; he'd asked for this. After too many days in either Robert's office or his or Teal'c's room, with nowhere to run like he'd been free to do outside Nagada, he needed to move. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to learn, just in case. No one said that a scholar had to depend on others to protect him if he could protect himself. If Teal'c thought he had strength, he would prove that he did.

"Okay," he said to steel himself, and stepped forward.

"Have you studied the art of combat previously, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"Not really. My brother taught me to wrestle and fight with a knife, a little, but that was all."

"Then we begin from the beginning. No weapons. I will teach you the art of _lok'nel_."

_Lok'nel_ was...slow, at least at first. It was a far cry from the quick, rough fighting he'd learned from grappling first with Skaara and later with Tobay, Bolaa, and others. That had been about quick strikes, tight holds, elbows thrust into ribs and sand kicked into faces. _Lok'nel_ was slower, but more controlled. Part of him was impatient with the pace, but another was quietly thrilled at the skill involved, at how meticulous it was, at the precision needed for every move.

He started by simply watching and mimicking, the way he learned languages by listening and imitating. Teal'c stood beside him, and he watched from the corner of his eye, trying to move exactly like the Jaffa, each motion perfect, each sequence executed correctly and...

"This is not only a form, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c interrupted. "You study each move too closely and forget that you are fighting."

"But I'm not fighting," he pointed out. "There's no one to fight against."

"You move as though afraid to take a wrong step. Do not hold back. A precise hand means nothing if there is no will or strength behind it. Now, _kree ka.._. _Kree!_ "

He still felt sloppy, but Teal'c nodded once, sharply. "Better," he said. "Begin again. Without flailing your limbs this time, _chal'ti_." Daniel flushed a little at the rebuke but stepped back into position.

The next time it was, "You forget where your feet are. Your arms are useless if you cannot stand."

Then, "Adequate. Now faster. _Kree!_ "

Again and again, until finally, Teal'c called, " _Ta'i_. _Ar'ee kree._ "

Daniel stopped obediently. Despite the speed (he'd sped up, but he was still doubtful he'd ever win a fight by moving that slowly) he was breathing hard and his muscles were starting to ache with fatigue. He was beginning to be grateful that he hadn't had to try anything against Teal'c, who could surely crush him with a single hand, when Teal'c announced:

"Now, Daniel Jackson, I will be the attacker. You must learn to fall."

_I know how to fall_ , Daniel thought apprehensively. _Getting back up might be a problem._

The first few times, Teal'c maintained a steady arm to guide him the whole way down to the mat, until he understood which part should hit the floor first and how to bend his body. The attacks, when they started, were much slower than what they both knew Teal'c was capable of, but they weren't gentle so much as controlled, just like everything about the Jaffa: under constant, tight control. Daniel somehow doubted young Jaffa were taught this way, but if Teal'c was going to be more cautious with him because he was a human and more breakable, he wouldn't complain.

But even knowing all the parts to the sequence, it was hard to do everything properly and smoothly. It was like having all the sounds that made up a word but not knowing how they fit together and overlapped, so it ended up just a jumble of sounds that vaguely resembled language.

"Your arm must make contact before your back," Teal'c reminded him, pulling him up into a crouch again.

"You cannot be stiff when you fall," he heard when he panicked and curled up on the way down.

The next time, Teal'c's voice added, "Your arm must stay straight. Follow the direction of my movement; do not try to resist directly against someone stronger than yourself."

"I'll never do this right," Daniel grumbled.

"Then you must practice. _Kree ka._ " He returned to his crouch and waited for Teal'c to knock him over again.

It was right at that moment that Jack's voice called, "What the hell!"

Daniel yelped in surprise and flinched, making an ungainly topple to the mat. He managed to slap his hand down first to absorb some of the impact but still felt the breath leave him in a _whoosh_.

Teal'c's arm was under his back instantly to help him sit back up. Daniel gasped a few times, then said, "That was better, yes?" and pushed himself to his feet.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, his eyes scanning to assure himself that there was no harm done, as he did each time. "But a fall such as that could still cause you injury in less controlled situations, if you twist in that way."

Then Jack, dressed in his BDUs, was looming over him, and then turned and somehow managed to loom _up_ at Teal'c. "What the hell was that?"

"It is part of the technique that all young Jaffa learn," Teal'c informed him, unruffled.

"Daniel is _not_ one of your Jaffa!" Jack snapped.

Daniel stared at Jack, then looked to Teal'c, who did not seem to understand what the problem was any better than he did. "I believe humans use similar techniques to prevent injury while training," Teal'c said. "I have observed Captain Carter and yourself employing them."

Jack was not appeased. "Teal'c, you're twice his size!"

"No, he's not," Daniel said defensively, wishing he wasn't still panting. He might be smaller than either Teal'c or Jack, but he wasn't _that_ small. "He was being careful. I mean, _really_ careful. We didn't do anything dangerous."

Jack whirled on him now, and Daniel was taken aback to see how livid the man was. "He wouldn't have to _mean_ to hurt you."

"Nothing was going to happen. Jack, you trust Teal'c more than anyone!" And it was true, at least on base--Jack was either dismissive or suspicious of people he didn't know well. Teal'c and Sam, and maybe a couple of others, were the only ones he didn't treat that way.

"This has nothing to do with trust, Daniel," Jack said tensely. "Accidents happen." A look of fear flashed for just a second, then disappeared again behind the rage.

"Jack, I asked him to teach me," Daniel tried, confused. "I don't understand--"

"What happened to not being a fighter, huh? What happened to wanting to be a scholar?"

It took Daniel a few moments to place the conversation he'd had at Jack's house and was stung when he did, partly because he suspected his parents might have felt the same way--they hadn't liked fighting, either. "Of course I still want to be a scholar," he said, "but--"

"That's not what it looks like from here," Jack said. "What's next, practice at the shooting range?"

"I...hadn't thought of that. Are you saying I should--"

"Dammit, Daniel!" Daniel took an unconscious step back. Teal'c moved closer to the two of them, and Jack turned away, raking a hand through his hair.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "if you ask me to cease training sessions with Daniel Jackson, I will do as you command."

"What?" Daniel said incredulously, at the same time that Jack said, " _Yes_ , I ask!"

"But," Teal'c continued firmly, "Daniel Jackson's choices are not yours to judge. You do not command him on this base."

"If I tell you to stop, Teal'c--"

"I'll ask someone else," Daniel said, though he hadn't considered that at all before he said it. It was just an angry bluff, anyway, since he didn't think anyone besides Teal'c would be willing to teach him without being forced to do so. Most people in the SGC knew generally who he was, but while he had only ever talked to a few people, he had the impression that their opinion of him ranged from curious to indifferent to disapproving. Maybe Sam would train him. It wasn't unusual on Earth for women to be warriors, and he'd seen for himself that she was more than capable in a fight.

"Yeah." Jack's voice was no longer furious, but he was still turned partially away and didn't look at Daniel. "I'd rather you taught him, Teal'c," Jack conceded. "But I'd also rather that you have...training sessions when other people are in here. Preferably me. Or Carter."

"Jack, you can't--"

"Daniel!" he returned, as if the name itself were an argument.

"That is wise," Teal'c said. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson can then also learn Tau'ri defensive arts."

"Now," Jack said, raising a hand, "that is _not_ what I meant."

"It's just defense, Jack," Daniel said testily, trying to reason despite the stinging feeling of unfairness. "You keep reminding me that I live on a military base. I may as well learn to protect myself."

"You're on base, not on the front lines," Jack said, but he was no longer protesting. "Fine. Your sessions will take place when we're around, is that understood?"

"I understand, O'Neill," Teal'c said smoothly. Daniel scowled.

"Is that understood, Daniel?" Jack repeated.

"I'm not one of your soldiers, Jack," he snapped back, "and you're not my fath--" He stopped abruptly, surprised at himself and a little shaken. Jack looked like he was about to say something in return, but Teal'c stepped in first.

"Nevertheless, Daniel Jackson," he rebuked, "Colonel O'Neill deserves your respect."

Confused by his own actions, Daniel muttered, "Sorry." He was still unhappy with Jack, though, so he turned deliberately to Teal'c and bowed. " _Lek tol, Tek'ma'tae Teal'c. Tai'ya teal'c ya daru_." Thanking a Jaffa training master translated to an expression of respect for his strength. There was a distinct pattern in Jaffa formalities. There was also an implied snub in the deliberate use of a language in front of someone who didn't speak it.

Teal'c inclined his head in return. " _Ta'i kree, chal'ti. Lek tol._ "

"I told Robert I'd be there this morning," Daniel said shortly in Jack's direction and left. Behind him, he heard Jack ask in a bewildered voice, "What was that?" before he was out of earshot.

XXXXX

**_25 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1100 hrs_ **

"Something wrong?" Robert asked as he put a rock aside.

The problem with having no archaeologists on an exploration team, Daniel thought, was that sometimes they didn't recognize what was a useful artifact and what was just a rock. It stood to reason that there were also things the teams would miss while exploring--like, for example, a page-turning device that looked like a rock.

Of course, an archaeologist like Robert wouldn't have recognized it for what it was either, but he might have noticed 'a lack of erosion,' in his own words, and brought it back anyway, even if only for geological or chemical analysis.

"Daniel?" Robert prompted.

"What? No, nothing's wrong," Daniel said, continuing his reading.

"You sure?"

It was unusual for Robert to be paying so much attention to someone less than a thousand years old, so Daniel nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Because I was going over your translation, and you translated the same word three times, one after another. And in two different ways."

Oh. He walked over to see the pad of paper he'd just handed to Robert. "Sorry. That should be...uh, ' _slave_.' I don't know why I wrote ' _great._ ' It doesn't make any sense; it's not even the right part of speech. I'll fix that."

"It changes the meaning a little," Robert agreed. "That's okay--it's why we double-check. You need a break?"

"No," Daniel said quickly, embarrassed. "It was just a stupid... I mean, I won't do it again." He glanced up at the clock on the wall to see that barely any time had passed since he'd started, and he was already getting distracted and restless. "Besides, I _am_ taking a break," he pointed out, holding up the book on physics that Sam had scrounged out for him.

Robert glanced at the textbook. "How much of that are you getting?"

Sam had worried about that, too, not knowing how Daniel's education matched with what students on Earth learned. "Enough," he answered. "It's very basic, and I understand the math. It's interesting."

Shaking his head, Robert went back to checking the translation. "You're such a geek, Daniel. Suit yourself. You've worked on this thing more than enough." After a few minutes of companionable silence, he said, "So, I noticed you hang out with SG-1 a lot. Is that because of your language lessons with Teal'c?"

For some reason, it hadn't occurred to Daniel until recently that the three people on SG teams whom he knew around here were all on SG-1. "I just happen to know all of them, and they let me stay around when they're not busy." He thought guiltily for a moment of how Jack had actually invited him into his home, and then he'd been disrespectful to the man. Jack had been unreasonable first, though. "We escaped from a prison together," he explained, "and I guess the first SG team was basically formed out of that."

"You escaped from _prison_?"

"A prison off-world," he clarified. "Teal'c was the guard. That's how we met him. You didn't know that?"

Robert shook his head. "You know what, someone needs to put together a history lesson for people who got here late. The stories get crazier every day around here." It sounded like a throwaway comment, but Daniel made a mental note, anyway, to suggest it to someone. Sam, probably. It was a good idea, and Robert would probably forget he'd had it in another hour if he became busy with something else. "Did you hear about SG-5? They met these pacifist aliens who can make things invisible--had a whole city floating in the air. I forget what they called themselves. Something dark, I think."

Daniel had heard about that--rumors about aliens tended to sweep through the SGC like wildfire. "Dark? Oh. _Nox_." The rumors about the Nox said that they were a good people, but he wasn't completely convinced. "I just don't understand how someone could be so powerful and not want to use it to _do_ anything."

"That's why we call them pacifists, Daniel."

Personally, he thought that was impractical, and maybe even selfish. Ra would still be in power if they'd believed in pacifism. "I understand they don't want to hurt people, but at the very least, if someone tried to kill you, wouldn't you try to kill them back?" He thought about his word choice, then amended, "I mean, I don't see what's wrong with defending yourself."

"Hey, I'm with you," Robert said. "But we're not them. Maybe they're too advanced for things like that."

Daniel scowled. He bet they wouldn't be _'too advanced'_ to help people who could use their aid if they'd been invaded by the Goa'uld. Then he felt bad, because he wasn't trying to wish the Goa'uld on them, either.

"Crap," Robert sighed in frustration, sitting back in his chair.

"What?" he asked, mentally filing _'crap'_ away with Skaara's preferred _'yi shay'_ and Jack's occasional _'damn.'_

"I wish there were some easy way to say how old these were," he said, gesturing at the Goa'uld tablet-books. "It would give us some context for the writing on them."

Daniel lowered his book. "There's not an easy way?"

"Well, I'd normally want to try carbon-14 dating," Robert explained. "But it only works on something that was alive at some point, and I don't see any traces of that here. A lot of other methods depend on knowing exactly what conditions are like on the planet--radiation, events that affected rock formation, a history of temperature changes, oxygen levels..." He shook his head.

"And we don't know any of that for the planet," Daniel summarized.

"Yeah, that's the problem. I mean, we can have people measure radiation levels, temperature, and all of that _now_ , but we'd never know if it's been changing over time. And for something this old, that could be important."

"Oh. And even if we knew somehow, for this one planet..."

"...it would be different everywhere else. We're not familiar with anything except what's on Earth, and we already know the air composition is slightly different on some of the planets, so... Wow," Robert said, looking stunned, "this job is going to be more complicated than I thought."

"Sam knows things about how stars and planets got created," Daniel told him. "Could you tell from that?"

Robert made a face. "Nah. I'll talk to the astrophysicists, but I doubt they'd have exact enough data on the timescale we care about. In fact, I don't know how we can _ever_ get more than an extremely rough estimate about the timing, with huge uncertainty. We could be off by orders of magnitude. Or we'll have to resort to dendrochronology to try to guess for short time periods. Assuming all plants are similar to ours."

_Dendrochronology_? "The...the study of tree...time?" Daniel said, trying to guess the word's meaning. "What?"

"Using tree growth to calibrate your scale for dating. Tree rings? No?" Robert said. Daniel stared back blankly, so he offered, "I'll explain it to you sometime. I don't know how useful it'll be to us, but it'll be good for you to learn the concept anyway."

The particular planet they were looking at had been abandoned, but they didn't know why, or how, or when. Since it had been a Goa'uld planet, everyone wanted to know more about it. "So we have to hope we find planets where there are people," Daniel said.

There was a pause. "People?" Robert frowned, considering. "Like...people might've kept records of planetary conditions."

"Why not? People have done it on Earth; they might have somewhere else, too. And if we know about the planet's history with...uh, radiation and all that, you can use those other methods you talked about, yes?"

"Possibly," Robert said slowly. "So if we can put approximate dates on certain events, we can sketch out a timeline and see where things like this"--he swept a hand toward the tablets--"fit into the timeline. That's what you're talking about."

"Yes. Like fitting pieces into a puzzle."

Robert looked more cheerful at the thought of that. "Huh. That's not a bad idea, actually."

Daniel mulled it over more carefully, then said, "It's a pretty...circuitous way to do it, though. It would take a while before we had enough data even to start that."

"Well, sure. This isn't exactly a short-term project," Robert said, sounding unconcerned. "We'll have to be going over this a long time--for years, probably. Hey, it's almost like having job security. That's a weird feeling after a decade of non-tenured, post-graduate work."

_("You will stay to fight with the Tau'ri after your year has passed?")_

"Right," Daniel said hollowly, and sighed. "A long time."

He stared at his book without really reading it until Robert finished and put a stack of papers aside. "Daniel, can you type these up? When you want a break from your...break, I mean."

Daniel took the papers silently and sat down at the computer.

XXXXX

**_25 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 1300 hrs_ **

Jack was in the commissary when Daniel and Robert stopped for lunch. Robert found Dr. Lee sitting with one of the translators, a captain whose name Daniel couldn't remember who had been helping Lieutenant Hagman with something that looked like early Chinese pictograms. Daniel declined when he was invited to join them--Dr. Lee had seemed mostly unconcerned with him so far but not actually condescending; on the other hand, he was less sure about what other personnel thought of him.

There was an unoccupied table that Daniel quickly claimed, but he'd barely sat down before a tray was placed in front of his. Jack dropped into the opposite seat.

Remorse and embarrassment ran through him as he remembered the scene that morning, but annoyance and confusion at Jack's reaction were stronger and kept him from lifting his head.

"I was pretty surprised this morning," Jack said mildly.

"So was I," Daniel grumbled back, raising his eyes enough to glare. "I don't understand why you were so angry."

"Well, I didn't realize your Goa'uld lessons would be taking place in the gym. I got out of the changing rooms and heard someone yelling _'Kree.'_ And then I ran in and saw you about to get a nice kick in the head. What d'you expect me to think?"

"It wasn't in the head, and he barely made contact," Daniel said before he had time to think about it. "I didn't consider that," he admitted. "But then, when you saw that nothing was wrong--"

"There _was_ something wrong. Your technique needs work," Jack told him.

"I'm learning," Daniel said defensively. "And you distracted me."

"You _let_ yourself be distracted. Not a good idea if you're ever in a fight."

"Well, that's why--wait, I thought you didn't want me to get in a fight."

"I don't," Jack said sharply. "I'd rather you geeked out with Rothman or Carter all day. I don't want you to get hurt."

Daniel sighed in exasperation and pushed his tray aside. "Jack...it's _Teal'c_."

"Even Teal'c can make mistakes, Daniel, no matter how careful he is. He's still only human."

"No, he's not!"

Jack paused. "Well, no. But what I meant is--he's not infallible. And if someone ever slipped up, you could be hurt pretty bad."

"You and Sam practice with Teal'c," Daniel said.

" _Me and Sam_ are trained for it," Jack countered.

"Well, then, that's why I should practice," he said reasonably. "So I'll be trained for it, too."

Jack narrowed his eyes at him, then changed the line of conversation. "Carter thinks I overreacted," he said.

"You talked to her?"

"She thinks it would be safe enough to do drills alone with Teal'c if you want." Daniel noticed that he didn't say he agreed.

"Did you talk to _Teal'c_?" Daniel asked pointedly. "You were acting like he was an enemy. In the beginning, you kept telling everyone you'd trust him with your life."

"I do," Jack said.

"Well, you should tell him."

"I think he knows, Daniel."

"I think you implied something else this morning, Jack!"

Jack picked up his cup. "You can be really annoying sometimes," he said, and took a sip.

Caught by surprise and a little hurt, Daniel retorted, "You only said that because you don't have a logical argument."

"And way too confident," Jack added. "You're right, though."

Daniel paused to run that through his brain. "I know I'm right," he said slowly, wondering if he'd heard right.

"See?" Jack said.

He didn't, exactly, but asked, "Then it's okay for me to continue learning from Teal'c?" He wasn't sure why he was even asking--Jack didn't have authority over him, after all.

"I can't _stop_ you from doing it," Jack corrected, as if reading Daniel's thoughts. "But...I'll admit that if you ever get into a situation when you have to protect yourself, you might as well be prepared. And Teal'c's probably one of the best fighters here, so he's not a bad choice for a trainer."

"So...okay. Uh, thank you." It was nice to have Jack's approval, even if he didn't need the permission. If nothing else, Teal'c had to answer to Jack. "I won't get hurt," he said again.

"Yeah," Jack answered, after a brief hesitation. "Now, these sessions will be in Teal'c's spare time. He has obligations to the SGC. And...Carter and I have more duties than he does, but if there's downtime, she said to tell you that we're willing to practice with you, too."

"She said that?" Daniel asked. Then, more cautiously, "You are?"

"You can only go so far with drills. Eventually, you'll learn to spar, and when that time comes, I'd rather you faced someone a less than a foot taller than you," Jack said.

Daniel's face grew warm. "I'm not _that_ short," he grumbled, a little self-consciously, because he had spent most of his life on Abydos playing with the older boys and had only recently begun to catch up to them in height.

"You kinda are," Jack informed him, but with a teasing smile. Then his face grew unusually serious. "I hope you never see another battle again, Daniel. But we all thought Abydos was safe when we went through, and it wasn't. We thought this base was safe, with all our security measures, and it wasn't enough. When you get back home, we won't be around to try and protect you. You understand?"

The reminder of danger made his stomach drop. "Yes," he answered, ashamed now at his tone and for almost throwing Jack's own loss of his son in his face earlier. "I'm sorry I said...sorry for being disrespectful."

Jack snorted. "You're fourteen--I hear that's in the description. Don't make a habit of it." He started to stand.

"Wait, Jack, I wanted to tell you..." He waited until Jack sat back down. "I never got to thank you for my parents' journals."

"I'm just passing them along," Jack said. "They're yours."

"It's not 'just' anything, Jack," he said. How could he explain how much it meant to see his father's spiky script again, or his mother's tight, tiny letters? "Their books were important to them. I didn't have anything when they took us, so I thought everything was gone or lost, or... My parents used to write things all the time, and...and it's good to have them," he finished, frustrated, because what kind of student of language could he be if he couldn't find the words to express why this mattered so much to him?

But Jack said, more quietly, "I get it. I just wish I could have...saved more."

Daniel shook his head but didn't trust his voice. When Jack stood up again, clapping him on the shoulder, he forced out, "Jack, could you..." He stopped to clear his throat. "Could you tell me what they were like when you knew them?"

The hand on his shoulder went very still. "I have a better idea. How 'bout _you_ tell _me_ about them sometime?"

Abruptly, Daniel discovered that he wanted to very much, and he nodded gratefully. "Yes. Okay. Sometime."

XXXXX

**_25 October 1997; SGC, Earth, 2030 hrs_ **

Daniel had tried _kelno'reem_ before. The first time, he had been so tired and upset that he'd fallen asleep against the wall of Teal'c's old cell. The second time, he'd been more alert but hadn't lasted more than a few minutes before starting to shift uncomfortably, unused to sitting so still for so long. The next time had been even worse, and he'd given up, studying quietly from his notebook until Teal'c had come out of his own deep meditative trance. Sam didn't think _kelno'reem_ was possible for humans, but humans meditated in many cultures, even if they couldn't reach the exact state Jaffa could.

That night, he decided to try again. SG-1 was scheduled for a mission with SG-3 the next afternoon, and Robert would be going off-world with SG-2 to the abandoned planet where they'd found the Goa'uld tablets. The place had been deemed safe enough for a civilian, and he was hoping to find the missing page-turning device. Apparently, naquadah and its potential for weapons technology was enough to convince the general and his superiors that it was important.

Daniel, on the other hand, was left with little to do and was feeling on edge. Teal'c noticed his restlessness during their Goa'uld lesson that evening and invited him to join _kelno'reem_.

"Where did you get candles?" Daniel asked, wondering if the military actually kept stores of candles somewhere.

"Captain Carter procured them for me," Teal'c answered, steadily lighting a single one and setting it on the floor between them. "Do you remember the element required above all others to achieve _kelno'reem_?"

Daniel's lips twitched into a sheepish smile as he remembered his last failed attempt. "Silence."

Teal'c closed his eyes. Daniel watched for a moment, fascinated as always by how easily the Jaffa's expression slipped off into the tranquility that marked his reaching a state of harmony with his symbiote. For himself, he looked into the candle flame until glare reminded him that he was still wearing his glasses--when had he stopped noticing them?--which he slipped off and laid gently on the floor beside him.

Staring hard at the flame made his eyes burn, so he relaxed his focus, letting his vision blur and ignoring the ache of muscles that were lightly bruised from learning to fall.

Falling physically was surprisingly hard. Letting go of his thoughts, mentally, felt like a sort of falling as well.

Discipline. He wasn't a child anymore; he could do this.

When he let his eyelids fall closed, the image of the flame was still burned into the back of his eyes, and he could imagine he was sitting by the fire on a cold Abydonian night, huddled lethargically against the warmth of people around him--who they were, precisely, didn't matter, as long as they were there. Kasuf's voice was a steady murmur in the background, and he didn't know what story the man was telling this time, but it didn't matter, because he knew them all already. The walls around him were familiar, and he couldn't place whose dwelling this was, but it didn't matter, because the walls were welcoming.

He lost himself in the quiet murmur of laughter and storytelling, the warmth of the fire and his family at his side...

_Home_.

Then, some time later, there was a different warmth on his shoulder as Teal'c gently shook him until he opened his eyes.

"It has grown late," Teal'c said. "I replace sleep with _kelno'reem_ , but you cannot. It is time to rest, Daniel Jackson."

The candle had been extinguished. The walls were gray and cold. The room was silent.

And yet, Teal'c's hand was gentle on his shoulder. The quiet felt natural and companionable. His mind was calm and oddly content, and he found himself smiling at the bittersweet memories for the first time.

Daniel picked up his glasses, stood, and bid Teal'c a quiet goodnight.


	8. Exotic Diseases

**_1 November 1997; SGC, Earth, 0800 hrs_ **

"What's happened now?" Janet groaned, appalled, as Colonel O'Neill was brought--or, rather, dragged--into the infirmary, struggling in the grip of two airmen, a third hovering behind and ready to provide assistance. It was far too early in the morning to have to deal with an epidemic.

Not that four people was an epidemic (yet), but this was the way it always started.

"--away from him!" O'Neill was shouting.

"He was totally out of control, ma'am," one of the airmen reported hurriedly. "Assaulted one of the marines--"

"You bastards stay away from him!" O'Neill repeated, twisting as they wrestled him onto a bed. "He's mine! Stay the hell away from him!"

"Any idea what he's talking about?" Janet asked, calling over her shoulder, "Get him in restraints!"

"Something to do with the Jackson kid, I think," the airman said, sounding bewildered. "The colonel grabbed him and sort of...threw him into a corner. Tried to attack anyone who got too close, like he thought they were threatening the kid. I'm not sure he was completely, uh, all there, Doc, if you know what I mean; the colonel--"

" _Charlie_!" O'Neill yelled.

"--kept calling him that, ma'am, telling us to stay away from him."

_Huh?_ "Who in the world is Charlie?" Janet said distractedly.

"Not sure, ma'am. Wasn't that the name of the major who got snaked couple of weeks ago? They were friends, I think."

"Kawalsky? That makes no sense," she muttered. "Is he all right?"

O'Neill bucked against his bonds, screaming, "I'm gonna kill you!"

The airman looked at him. "Uh..."

"Yes, I can _see_ Colonel O'Neill," Janet snapped. "What about the boy, Jackson--was he hurt?"

"No, ma'am, not that I could see, but we had our hands pretty full with the colonel."

"Fine, then...let's get him calmed down, for a start. Try to keep him from thrashing too much before he manages to hurt himself," she ordered, pulling open a drawer to reach for a dose of diazepam. After a second's hesitation, she took out several more syringes of the same, setting them on a table closer to the gurneys, where they'd be easier to reach.

As they spoke, Sam Carter, awake but in a drugged calm, was wheeled out of the room, headed for one of the holding cells. O'Neill turned his head at the movement and redoubled his efforts to get free. "Samantha!" he shouted. "No--she's _mine_ , damn you! You've got no right to her!"

"Possessive, aren't we, Colonel?" Janet ground out, pulling the cap off a syringe with her teeth. "Now is not the time to be displaying your testosterone levels... Airman, hold him still!" Finding and injecting into a vein would be near impossible now, with the way he was moving, so she plunged the needle into the struggling colonel's deltoid; an intramuscular injection would have to hold him until he was calmer. "All right, you can let go," she told the men, tiredly wiping a sleeve across her forehead. "The restraints should hold him until the sedative starts working. It might take a few minutes to kick in."

"Dr. Fraiser?" She turned at the sound of General Hammond's voice. "What's going on here? I'm hearing reports of my men..." He did a double-take. "Is that Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yes, sir, it is, and I don't know what to tell you right now," she said. "I've got blood samples from Lieutenant Johnson and Captains Casey and Carter. As soon as the colonel settles down, I'll get his, too. There must be a toxin or infectious agent that's causing a psychosis of some kind--no mental illness I know of would naturally progress this fast."

"But you don't know what's causing it," he said.

"Not yet, sir," she allowed, "but we've only just started doing tests. The problem is, it's spreading, and fairly fast from what I've seen so far."

The general looked alarmed. "You're telling me we brought a contagious disease back to Earth?"

Janet shook her head helplessly. "It could be that, General. I have no idea yet what it is. But, yes, I think we should assume that it probably is highly infectious."

"Could it have been something they picked up on P3X-797?" he said.

"Very possible. Which teams were there?"

"SG-1 and -3."

"Then I'd say it's likely, since three of the people affected so far were on SG-1 or SG-3. However, Captain Casey wasn't with them on that planet, and his symptoms match theirs exactly. Sir, they might have contracted a disease out there, but whatever this thing is, it's spreading to people in _here_."

He tightened his lips, then sighed. "I understand, Doctor. I'm ordering this mountain sealed off. No one and nothing in or out. How does this disease spread?"

"I'm hoping it's through direct contact only, sir, but it could be airborne for all I know," she said. "I haven't been able to ascertain whether each victim actually touched an infected person or was simply in proximity. There's clearly an incubation period before symptoms show, so it's hard to know." She shook her head again. "I'm sorry I don't have more for you, General."

"I understand. I'll close off this level of the base as well, in case we can stop its spread to other levels. Tell me immediately if you learn something."

"Yes, sir. I'd also like the rest of SG-1 and SG-3 here, since they're likely to be affected first."

Hammond nodded. "I'll have someone send them down."

"Sir--" He turned back. "Perhaps you should choose a few of the unaffected personnel who have been farthest from the situation and have them report to isolation," Janet said carefully. "In case lockdown isn't enough and we need to take more drastic action, someone needs to be sound of mind enough to be able to make the call."

He knew what she meant. Most of the highest ranking officers were compromised or presumed exposed already. "I understand, Doctor," Hammond said. "I'll see to it."

Janet waited until he left the room before allowing her shoulders to slump. The way this was looking, it was just a matter of time before they all were affected, at least for the people on this level or sharing vents with this level. Gloves wouldn't be much of a protection to her anymore, either. If it was transmitted by direct contact (a transdermal route of entry, perhaps), she'd touched the victims already, and so had most of the nursing staff.

They should have realized from the beginning how dangerous it was to go off-world, not just because of hostile natives but also because literally anything they brought back--a new strain of a dangerous virus, a parasite, a toxin in the air or food--could be deadly to everyone on Earth. She wondered whether the SG teams had unknowingly been infecting alien worlds, too. If they hadn't rushed into starting this program...but maybe that was partly her fault. It was Janet's responsibility to point out things like this.

Enough. They had a problem now, and it needed to be solved.

Colonel O'Neill's eyes had drifted half-closed, and he was no longer attempting to fight or protest. "Sorry about this, Colonel, but I need some of your blood," she said aloud as she tightened a tourniquet around his arm and searched with her fingers for a vein. "We'll get you better, sir." ... _I hope_.

Janet knew what it meant that she was the one person in close contact with everyone who had what was potentially a contagious disease. If she was going to figure this out, she had to do it fast before she ran out of time.

She huffed exasperatedly. An exotic disease specialist, indeed...what would her colleagues outside the mountain have said about this job? 'Insane' didn't quite seem to do it justice.

"Dr. Fraiser?"

Janet turned slightly. "Yes, Nurse."

"We have the results from Lieutenant Johnson's tox screen. He's negative for every drug we tested that might induce rapid psychosis."

"Damn," she muttered. It didn't tell them anything for certain, of course, since there might be some substance on P3X-797 that they'd never seen before on Earth, but they had no choice but to stick with what they knew and could test. "Did you do a CBC?" A report was placed in her hand. "White count is high... They've all had a fever, too. An infection, maybe."

"No bacterial cultures found so far," the nurse told her.

A virus? "I want to take a look under the 'scope and see if there's any change in cell morphology," Janet said. "You have the...?"

"The blood samples are right here, Doctor."

"Run the captains' and the colonel's blood through the same tests," she ordered. "If you don't see anything new or noteworthy, test them all again for any other substance you can think of--hormones, neurotransmitters, common toxins...anything. Tell me as soon as they're done--I need to get fresh samples."

...x...

**_1 November 1997; SGC, Earth, 1500 hrs_ **

"We've managed to isolate an organism in all of the victims' bloodstreams," Janet announced, though the usual burst of triumph that accompanied solving step one of the problem was dampened by the knowledge that the number of victims was growing steadily--closer to exponentially, really, since they all kept infecting others. All the members of the two SG teams that had gone to P3X-797 had been sedated and were in isolation, with the exception of Teal'c. "It's a...a parasitical virus of some sort, and it seems to feed on chemical transmitters."

General Hammond nodded tightly. "So what does this mean for them, Doctor?"

"Well," she said, "their neurotransmitters are being depleted, which is apparently causing all but the most primitive parts of their brain to just...shut down. They lose their ability to reason, then begin acting on base instincts..."

"That's why they act like animals?" the general said.

Teal'c confirmed, "They are indeed behaving like the Touched."

"Touched?" Hammond repeated.

"That is what the savages on P3X-797 are called. They resembled primitive humans."

"It...does match the symptoms, bizarre as it seems," Janet agreed. "Captain Carter sought out what she saw to be the strongest compatible...well, mate in her clan, of sorts: her team leader. Lieutenant Johnson's instinct for survival--a 'fight or flight' reaction, with emphasis on the 'fight'--overcame his reason, which made him forget or ignore the fact that Mr. Teal'c's symbiote is not currently an enemy Goa'uld. Colonel O'Neill exhibited possessiveness over a potential mate."

"Daniel Jackson is not a potential mate for Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c informed her.

Janet coughed. "I meant Sam Carter--he became quite agitated when she was taken away to isolation. I'm guessing he might have confused Daniel for his own...offspring and then became violent to protect what he thought was a genetic heir."

The general looked like he was finally deciding he was a bit crazy to have taken this job. "Is there any way to cure them?" he said.

"I'm working on it, sir," she said. "It might help if I could find differences in susceptibility. All but one of my staff here so far have shown symptoms, but I'm hoping we'll find that some people are immune. For instance, why hasn't Mr. Teal'c become ill? To be blunt, he should have been among the first to be hit."

The answer disappointed her, though. "I believe my symbiote protects me," Teal'c said.

Right. She was always forgetting the damn symbiote.

On the other hand, if Teal'c was immune...they _did_ need to have at least one person on the base who wouldn't go mad, and at least it was someone physically capable. She caught the general's eye, and he glanced at Teal'c, not looking certain but understanding her meaning.

"Well, I'll keep trying," Janet promised. "Hopefully, we'll find some sort of immunity. That should help give us a clue, not to mention a possible cure."

"You do that," Hammond said.

The infirmary door swung open, and Janet reached automatically for a dose of diazepam, but Dr. Rothman was walking in of his own volition and didn't seem to be about to attack anyone. "Dr. Rothman, is there a problem?" the general asked.

"No, sir," Rothman said, looking apprehensively at the disorganized room. "Or, uh, I dunno. Dr. Fraiser asked me to look at something they noticed about the patients."

"Yes, Doctor," Janet said, hoping he had something good to say. "Anything?"

Rothman shrugged. "It's obviously causing physical changes--like a more prominent brow, new follicle growth... They don't look...well, _Homo sapiens_ anymore. It's like their body structure is regressing to match that of some ancestor species. It doesn't tell me anything about a cure, though, and it's not like I've ever read about anything like this. Sorry."

Janet sighed. "No, I don't suppose it would. Thank you for trying, anyway. At least we can be sure now this is from the planet with the Touched."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, there isn't--" She stopped, rubbing her forehead, then admitted, "Actually, anyone who can help would could be useful here. If one of us needs help with a procedure or--"

A crash in the corner had her moving before she knew what had happened. She barely registered Teal'c rushing past her as she recognized Nurse Clark, who'd leapt at one of the airmen standing guard and was currently...

Well. It was fair to say this was not the time to think about proper behavior.

"Nurse Clark!" she called as she uncapped a syringe, hoping that talking would help but doubting that it would. "Emily! Let him go!"

Emily Clark ignored her completely, and it was Teal'c who pulled her off the stunned man and held her still until she was restrained. The sedative worked faster through her smaller body, and she slumped, out cold.

Their resident archaeologist was staring dumbfounded at the scene. "Dr. Rothman," she said firmly, "if you want to stay, help them get Nurse Clark to one of the holding cells. Here," she added, rummaging through a drawer and handing him several syringes. "Sedative--use it if anyone suddenly gets out of hand and attempts to attack you or someone else, but no more than one dose per person. Can you do that?"

"Uh...right. Yes. I can do that," Rothman said uncertainly, accepting a handful of doses.

"Dr. Fraiser," General Hammond said, "I'll see if I can do anything to help Dr. Rothman and the others outside. Teal'c, come with me, son," he added, beckoning with one hand. "I need to have a word with you first about the base's security protocols." He nodded to Janet.

A little apprehensive--but too grateful for a couple of extra hands to think much about it, she called, "I appreciate that, sir," as he left.

Janet ran a hand through her hair, thinking. All the nurses were out for the count--in fact, she was the only one of the medical professionals who'd been spared so far. "I'm probably next," she muttered distractedly, grabbing a pile of papers and scouring the reports yet again for any hint that could explain this.

She hadn't noticed Teal'c's return until he spoke. "Perhaps you will not be affected at all, Doctor Fraiser."

She snorted. "I appreciate the moral support, Mr. Teal'c, but..."

Wait. What if he was right? Everyone else in constant, close contact with the infected victims was already affected...what if there was a reason why she was still healthy?

"Do you know how to draw blood?" Janet asked.

"I do not," Teal'c said.

"All right. Do exactly as I say. I need to see if my blood shows anything different from everyone else's."

Dr. Rothman came back just as Teal'c was meticulously inserting the needle into her vein. "Okay, we put her in the--oh. Um. What's with the, uh..."

"I want to test the blood from everyone who hasn't shown any symptoms so far," she explained. "Thank you, Teal'c, I can finish from here. In fact, Dr. Rothman, I'm glad you came in--I'll need to test you, too."

"With a needle?" he asked, looking warily at the tube that was rapidly filling with blood.

" _Yes_ , with a needle," she snapped, too frazzled to soothe squeamish people who were nervous about tiny pinpricks. "Mr. Teal'c, I'll take a sample of your blood first. In the meantime, Dr. Rothman, could you please find the general and anyone else on this level who is not yet infected and have them come here to be tested."

"Actually, Dr. Fraiser," Rothman said with a wince, "the general's got it, too."

She stopped. "What?"

"It, uh, it hit him just outside of an empty holding cell, so we got him settled inside without much trouble. But, yeah. He's definitely...you know." Rothman's finger made a circling motion at his temple.

Of course the general could get it; there was no reason why not. It didn't matter. They still had to solve this, with or without him.

"Thank you, Dr. Rothman," she said. "Now, please go and find me a few volunteers. In fact, the airman who was with you--he's been here the whole time, too, without being infected. Bring him back here if you can. His name's Tobinski," she added. The archaeologist blinked uncertainly, then hustled out the door.

"Dr. Fraiser, have you discovered how to stop this illness?" Teal'c asked when she'd finished drawing his blood.

"Not yet, Mr. Teal'c, but I'm not through here yet. I'll be damned if I let this thing beat me."

"That is...good," he said. She spared him a second glance when he hesitated. "General Hammond has informed me that we cannot allow this infection to spread to the rest of your planet."

"That's right," she said. He only stared at her, and she remembered that the general had taken him aside to talk about security just minutes ago. She did not shiver and instead mustered a smile for him. "I understand, and we won't let it. We're gonna figure this out right here."

Janet turned expectantly when the door opened again, but it was Daniel Jackson standing there, not Rothman. "Daniel, what are you doing here? I thought you were upstairs."

"I came to see Sam," he said, glancing into the infirmary, "but then Jack got sick and they closed off this floor before I could leave."

"It's not safe right now...well," she amended, "I suppose the infirmary's as safe a place as any to wait it out."

"Robert came down here earlier, so I just wondered if I could help with something."

"I think we're in a bit of a lull now, thankfully," she answered absently, dropping blood on one of the slides. She glanced up and took a closer look--there was a bruise below Daniel's eye, but it didn't seem serious and he seemed otherwise unharmed, though his expression hovered somewhere between nervousness and alarm. "What happened to your cheek?"

"Uh..." He touched a finger to his cheek, as if he hadn't noticed it. "I suppose it was when...uh, Colonel O'Neill got sick. I...fell against a wall. But it doesn't hurt, Janet."

They'd said Colonel O'Neill had gotten a little violent in keeping people away from the boy. Suddenly she wondered whether she'd been right to suggest that he live here on base, since they'd proven more than once already that it wasn't the safest of places. Of course, if Daniel would stop wandering around...but maybe that wasn't fair, either.

"You know he was sick, right, sweetie?" she said, turning back to the microscope to focus on the slide. "I know this whole thing must be frightening to you. The colonel wouldn't have--"

"Oh, I know," Daniel's voice said quickly. "It's okay."

"Well, while you're here, I'd like to test your--"

A sharp intake of breath interrupted her. Daniel had stepped in past the doorway, but he stiffened now and was staring at Teal'c. "You have a Goa'uld inside you," he said, his voice uncharacteristically hard and his eyes burning with...rage?

"Daniel Jackson, it is only my--" Teal'c started.

"I'll kill it!" Daniel snarled, and launched himself at the Jaffa. " _Ne natay!_ "

Teal'c caught and held him easily. " _Ne natay_ ," he responded. " _Mid'cha, me ni'ya!_ Hear me, Daniel Jackson! This is not you." The Jaffa's eyes found Janet, who fumbled through her equipment, wishing she could do something more than simply knock her patients out.

" _Na'noweia si'taia!_ " Daniel yelled, trying to beat his fists against Teal'c, then, " _Ona arik kek te, Jaffa!_ "

" _Ne'naé, chal'ti. Ne'naé,_ " Teal'c answered, his tone even and calm, but Daniel's words only dissolved into wordless growls and shouting.

Daniel whipped his head around as Janet plunged the needle into his arm, renewing his struggles, but Teal'c's grip was sure. Before long, Daniel fell limply against Teal'c chest, looking ironically like the Jaffa was cradling rather than restraining him.

"Holy..." Janet couldn't help uttering. "What was he saying?"

"He saw me as his enemy and believed that I had come to kill him. He also desired to kill me."

She stared. "Well. You know he'd never say that to you if he were in his right mind."

"He is not, or he would not attempt to speak in several tongues at once." Because, of course, 'not in his right mind' for Daniel would mean 'mixing up languages.' Teal'c bent down to pull Daniel's still form over his shoulders. "I will take Daniel Jackson," he informed her, "and return in the case that you require assistance again."

She nodded and tiredly threw away the used syringe.

When Dr. Rothman came back, Airman Tobinski in tow, he asked, "Did I just see who I think I saw getting carted off to the cells?"

"Yes, Doctor." Janet shook off any distress, adopting her usual, objective, professional tone as she pointed Tobinski to a gurney. "Have a seat, Airman, if you will, and make a fist. Dr. Rothman, you can take a seat as well. I'll be with you in just a minute."

Tobinski sat.

Rothman sneezed. "Sorry," he said, digging in his pocket for a tissue. "Allergies."

"Know the feeling, Doc," Tobinski told him sympathetically. "I've got 'em, too."

"Me, too," Janet said absently, and then, "Huh."

...x...

**_1 November 1997; SGC, Earth, 1930 hrs_ **

"...and I realized," Janet finished, standing in the briefing room before the general, Colonel O'Neill, Sam Carter, and Colonel Makepeace, "that the three people left here on this level who were unaffected--Dr. Rothman, Airman Tobinski, and myself--all have severe allergies. We all take strong antihistamines every day, and the lack of histamine in our blood essentially starved the microbe and made us immune."

"So, basically, you gave us all allergy medicine," Colonel O'Neill summarized. "That sounds so...anticlimactic."

_Thank you for making it sound simple_ , she thought sourly, but said, "If you'd like to think of it that way, then yes--I gave you a mega-dose of it. And as a medical doctor, I rather prefer the anticlimactic, sir."

"So do I," General Hammond agreed. "It seems we're all indebted to you, Doctor."

"I'm just glad it was something treatable, sir." _And that it wasn't too late by then._

"Everyone's been cured?" he said.

"Yes, sir," she confirmed, "and the people on other floors have also been checked. Only two people are still in the infirmary, and we're just waiting for them to rouse fully from the sedative now."

This time it was O'Neill who asked sharply, "But he'll be okay?"

Janet assured him, "They'll both be fine. They were the last to receive a full dose of the sedative, so it's just taking a little longer for it to wear off." Emily Clark was already awake, if woozy, and Daniel should be any minute, as well.

"Sir," Sam suggested, "this means that the primitives in the Land of the Dark weren't primitives at all. They were just sick."

"Yeah," O'Neill agreed, looking irritable, "and thank god for that, or there'd be some crazy...business happening on this planet pretty soon."

Janet explained, "I think Captain Carter is trying to say that the virus on P3X-797 can be treated. We can provide them with enough chlorpheniramine to cure the infected people. Once there are no human hosts to carry the disease, it might stop proliferating and being transmitted once and for all. We could potentially rid their entire planet of a dangerous plague."

"I'm not sure about this," O'Neill returned. "They seemed pretty afraid of anything that had to do with the Land of the Dark. They might not believe us. Hell, we saw that one guy let his own daughter die in the woods because they were so scared to think about it."

"Well, shouldn't we at least try, sir?" Sam said. "If they understood, I'm sure they wouldn't be so callous. Besides, the people of the Land of Light were welcoming to us--it might be useful in the future to have a planet we can think of as an ally, or, at least, a temporary safe haven."

The general frowned, but then nodded. "I'll allow one more mission there so you can show them, but proper precautions will have to be taken. I want no chance of anyone being re-infected or, God forbid, having the virus brought back to Earth again. And you'll all be kept in isolation for observation for several hours after returning, just in case. Is that clear?"

O'Neill shrugged. "Sure. When do we leave?"

Janet broke in, "Sir, if I may...without knowing the condition of the people on the other planet, and since you've all only been cured for a matter of hours or minutes, I'd ask you to hold off for at least twenty-four hours, to make sure everyone involved is fully rested and the virus is completely eliminated."

"If that's what you think best, Doctor," the general agreed. "According to what you've all told me, the people there are not in immediate danger, so I'm not calling this an urgent mission. SG-1 and -3 will go back two days from now at 0900 hours. You're dismissed--and Dr. Fraiser, you have our thanks. It's been a long day."

Understatement of the--well, the week, at least.

When Janet arrived back at the infirmary, Emily had already left, and SG-1 seemed to have decided to gather there. She stopped at the doorway, which was blocked. "Sam? Mr. Teal'c?" Janet prompted.

Both turned at her voice, as if surprised to see her--which they shouldn't have been, as it _was_ her infirmary--but Janet caught sight of Sam's flushed, down-turned face. She almost reached out to check for lingering fever, but she recognized the captain's expression. "Is everything all right?" she asked, stopping.

"Sure, Janet," Sam said, while Teal'c said, "It is not."

The two stared at each other before Sam relented and said, "All right. I guess it just feels a little awkward, for all of us. After...what we all did. All except Teal'c, of course. The colonel...I'm not sure what happened between him and Daniel, but he told us to wait out here."

There was no need for her to ask why. Sam had tried to seduce her CO; Colonel O'Neill had mistaken Daniel for someone else and tried to claw his way toward his second-in-command; and Daniel had tried to attack Teal'c, his friend and mentor, the same way the first victim had.

"If it's any consolation, Captain," Janet offered, "let's just say your case wasn't unique. No action taken under the influence of the virus will be held against you or any other affected party; I've got the general's word on that."

"Officially, anyway," Sam muttered, looking embarrassed.

"Captain--Sam, if you're worried about what the colonel thinks, he probably doesn't even remember what happened. He became ill pretty soon after you did. Now, if you'll both excuse me, you're blocking the doorway to _my_ infirmary. If you're going to stay and eavesdrop, you might as well just come in." Both stepped hastily aside and let her pass.

"...okay," Daniel was mumbling, still a little groggy from having just woken up. He batted Colonel O'Neill's hand away and sat up. "I'm _fine_ , Jack."

O'Neill was staring at him, his expression rigid. He brushed his thumb against the bruise on Daniel's cheekbone, asking flatly, "Did I do this?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Daniel."

"The wall did it," Daniel said. When the colonel didn't seem appeased, he grimaced and fell silent for a moment, watching the man from where he sat on the bed. "Did you think I was...I think you called me..."

"That's my...son's name, yeah," the colonel said, "I remember that part. I wasn't thinking; I wouldn't have made a mistake like that otherwise. It's not like...that."

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated, as if trying to choose the right thing to say. He finally settled on, "I know. You were sick." The colonel's expression didn't change, and Daniel turned so that his legs dangled over the side. Very seriously, he said, "Jack, I made a mistake. A big one."

O'Neill shook his head. "You didn't do anything wro--"

"I did," he insisted. "I said...cruel things to Teal'c. I told him I wanted to kill him and tried to hurt his symbiote, but I didn't mean it."

"I'm sure he understands," O'Neill said. "He was watching over you until you woke up."

"Really?"

"It wasn't you, kid. Not your fault, and he knows it."

Daniel blinked up at him innocently. "Okay. Well, I know that, too."

Clearing her throat, Janet stepped forward and picked up a stethoscope, saying, "Glad you're awake. I'm just going to check your vitals. Colonel," she added dryly, "your team is blocking the hallway outside this room. Why don't you tell them it's okay to go home."

Daniel leaned away from her and asked, "You're going home now? What time is it?" He craned his neck to look at the clock, sinking back down when he saw the hour hand on the eight. "Right. It's late."

O'Neill looked over Janet's head at Sam and Teal'c in the hallway. "You know," he said, "we've all had a pretty lousy day, so what do you say you, me, Teal'c, and Carter head out of here and grab some dinner? We're all on stand-down tomorrow anyway. You can spend the night at my place if it gets too late."

"You're sure?" Daniel asked, though he couldn't hide the eagerness in his expression.

"Are you kidding? I've been promising Teal'c I'd show him this planet. First team bonding experience on Earth; I have a feeling we all need it after today."

"I'm not on your team."

"If you can be Teal'c's honorary Jaffa-in-training, you can be honorary SG-1 for one night."

"What I'm learning with Teal'c isn't even close to what a Jaffa _chal'ti_ would have to do for training," Daniel pointed out, but he was smiling.

"Chal-ti," Janet mused. "Didn't I hear Teal'c call you that earlier?"

"Hah! You see?" Jack crowed. "So, c'mon, let's go. That okay with you, Doc?"

Janet hid a smile of her own and waved him away. "Fine, Colonel. Now go collect your team while I finish up here."

He saluted cheekily. "Yes, ma'am, Doctor, ma'am."

She shook her head, telling Daniel, "You know, sometimes I think you're more mature than the colonel is."

"Only sometimes?" Daniel asked innocently, widening his eyes comically and trying unsuccessfully to hide his smirk.

"Don't you start, too, or I'll take it back."

Janet covered a yawn as she watched SG-1 lead Daniel from the infirmary, waving tiredly at their retreating backs and mentally preparing for the next week's crisis.


	9. Hammer and Anvil

**_13 November 1997; SGC, Earth, 0900 hrs_ **

"So, what's this new theory I've been hearing about?" Jack asked as he entered the briefing room. He came to a halt when he realized who was there. "Ah...Rothman. Hello." The archaeologist didn't even look up from where he was fiddling with his laptop. "I'm fine, thanks," Jack added. "How are you?"

"Jack!" another voice said happily.

Jack frowned and took a minute to look around the room and make sure he wasn't the only one who thought it was out of the ordinary to see Daniel grinning excitedly at him from just behind Rothman. Carter shrugged. "Daniel," he answered. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, good morning, Colonel," Rothman said, raising his head at last and sounding like he'd honestly just noticed Jack's arrival. "We've worked out some new information that General Hammond wants you to hear." Jack looked pointedly at the minor in the room. "Oh, the general said Daniel could stay during the briefing; he's the one who hammered out the initial translations that set this all off."

"You have to hear this," Daniel added. "If we're right, this is...this is enormous!"

Daniel was being unusually...perky. And he was smiling a _lot_. Which was not to say that he never smiled at all, but this was...well, a little excessive. Jack stared at him suspiciously, then asked the room at large, "Did someone feed him coffee? Some other form of caffeine, perhaps? Because this is...odd."

A thoughtful look came over Daniel's face, and Jack cursed himself silently for having mentioned it at all. He tried to remember if he'd seen a coffeemaker in Rothman's office to decide whether or not he had a coffee addict brewing on his hands. "On the other hand," he amended, "pretend I never said that."

"Ja-ack," Daniel complained, rolling his eyes and actually _bouncing_ a little on the balls of his feet. Even Carter raised her eyebrows at the uncharacteristically playful tone. "I'm _serious_. This could--"

"Good morning," General Hammond said, strolling in.

"--be exactly...oh. Sorry. Sir." Daniel flushed, then hurried to take a seat near the opposite end of the table, folding his hands on top of the table and becoming impressively still and quiet. Jack decided it must be from all the kel-no-reem-ing practice.

Once they were all seated, aside from Rothman, Hammond said, "Dr. Rothman, I understand you have a new theory about the Stargate."

"That's right," Rothman said, switching on the projector. "It's not the Stargates themselves we're concerned about here--it's more a theory about the Goa'uld and other possible...self-styled gods."

Oy. Just what they needed: more gods.

"By studying various mythologies from all over the world, it looks like there were two types: the Goa'uld, who were tyrants, and another group, who were benevolent deities and used technology to benefit humans," Rothman explained.

"Why would the Goa'uld let another race use their Stargates?" Hammond asked.

"Well, we don't think the Stargates belonged to the Goa'uld to begin with," Rothman said, and the thought was so new to Jack that he sat up a little to listen. "That is, they weren't the ones who built the 'gates. They're parasites--like everything else, they just took advantage of something that was already there. And that means that any _benevolent_ gods of equal or greater power could have used them, too, and we have reason to believe that this is the case."

Daniel was on the verge of starting to bounce again in excitement, though Hammond didn't betray anything when he asked, "Any indication of who they are?"

Rothman took a quick look around the room. "The Vikings."

Jack was comforted by the fact that Hammond and Carter looked skeptical, too.

"You see," Rothman continued, clicking forward in his presentation, "in Norse mythology, the gods were powerful warriors. Giants called the Jötnar, or Ettins, or...well there are different names, but either way, they were enemies of mankind with great knowledge and power--which sounds like the Goa'uld--and the god Thor protected humans from them, using a weapon called Thor's Hammer."

"I've heard that name before. Something about thunder?" Jack said, glancing at Daniel, who looked pleasantly surprised that he'd remembered.

"The Norse god of thunder," Rothman confirmed. "The Hammer was his weapon. Supposedly, it produced thunder and lightning when thrown." He showed a picture of what seemed to be a Viking frying someone with something like a staff weapon on steroids. "That could indicate a high level of technology and advanced energy weapons."

"So you're saying these Viking gods were aliens who were hostile to the Goa'uld," Jack summarized, "and we should look them up."

Hammond was looking interested. "Do we know where to start?"

"Yes, sir, we think so," Rothman said, putting down the pointer and moving to a folder. "One of the tablets that SG-2 found on P4C-168, the abandoned planet I visited with them, seemed to be a record of how the people were enslaved by the Goa'uld to mine naquadah, and then the Goa'uld were in turn destroyed by another unnamed race of aliens, probably a long time ago. Once we found the device to turn the page on the tablets and were able to read on, we found a warning left to other Goa'uld to stay away from a particular planet and not to go there seeking more naquadah or anything else. They left coordinates; I have them here somewhere...if you'll just hold on..."

Rothman pushed up his glasses and continued to flip through his papers, looking flustered. Jack couldn't help rolling his eyes a little.

"Here," Daniel spoke up, looking relieved not to be staying quiet anymore. He was scribbling something in that notebook he always seemed to carry around, and then he pushed it toward Carter, who was sitting the closest. "I memorized the symbols. That's the address we found. This could be where Thor and the other benevolent gods are."

Jack took a cursory glance at the symbols--he'd memorize them if it turned out to be necessary--and passed the book to Teal'c. "What if it wasn't the...Vikings who got rid of the Goa'uld on P4C-168?"

"Then it was some other race of aliens the Goa'uld are scared of," Daniel pointed out. "It still sounds like a good choice."

Then Teal'c said, "I know of this place."

That caught their attention. "You do?" Jack said.

"Indeed. These coordinates lead to a world known as Cimmeria. All Jaffa are taught this sequence of Stargate symbols."

Hammond frowned. "Why's that, Teal'c?"

"To ensure that no Goa'uld goes there," Teal'c said. "It is forbidden. Something transpired on Cimmeria that no Goa'uld will speak of."

"Well, I like the sound of that," Jack said, a little impressed.

"So do I, Colonel," Hammond said. "All right, you have a go. SG-1 will leave for Cimmeria as soon as the coordinates are recalculated. Dr. Rothman, Mr. Jackson, good work."

Surprise showed on Daniel's face but was overtaken by a delighted smile as he watched the general return to his office.

"A little excited, kid?" Jack said.

"Jack, this could be what we've been waiting for! Beings who can destroy the Goa'uld..." Daniel was standing now, and practically quivering with excitement. "What if this is it? What if we--well, you--find Thor and the rest of his race, and we can finish this all _right now_?"

A warning began to chime in Jack's ears. "Now, hold on, there. This is a good lead, but we can't make any assumptions just yet. Even if we find them, Daniel, we don't know exactly what we're looking at. Or who. Don't get your hopes up too high."

"I suppose," Daniel conceded, visibly calming himself, but his eyes were still too brightly enthusiastic.

"I'm not joking," Jack stressed. "We don't know..."

"I understand, Jack," he said.

Carter spoke up from where she stood at Teal'c's side. "Daniel, do you mind if I take this sheet with me? I need to enter the coordinates into the dialing system and make sure the position is adjusted correctly in the computer before we try to leave. I don't think it's one of the addresses that was on the Abydos cartouche."

"Another indication," Rothman added, "that the Goa'uld don't like to go there."

Once she'd carefully torn out the page, she left with a quick wave. Rothman followed her out, awkwardly juggling his laptop and a mess of cords. "Daniel, there's a folder on the table--could you bring it up with you when you're done here?"

"Sure," Daniel said, looking dubiously at the way the laptop was tilting precariously in his mentor's arms.

"Oh, and return Dr. Barr's Norse mythology book to his office, will you?" Rothman said. A file slipped out from the middle of his pile, and he caught it with the look of deep relief of someone who had probably juggled large piles of useless books for much of his life and had experience with paper spills.

When he'd disappeared from sight without any mishaps, Teal'c handed the notebook back. "You would be wise to heed Colonel O'Neill's words, Daniel Jackson."

"I _know_ ," Daniel sighed. "But...it _could_ be the right planet, yes?"

"It could be," Jack allowed, not wanting to extinguish the optimism in Daniel's eyes. Daniel didn't laugh a lot, though it was impossible to know whether that was how he'd always been or if it was something that came with recent events; Jack would have given a lot to be able to solve all their problems right then and there, too. "I hope so, too."

"And...uh, Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"Do you think I could go through the Stargate sometime?" Daniel said wistfully.

Jack sighed in exasperation. "We talked about this--"

"No, no," he interrupted hastily. "I mean...if there's a safe planet someone's visiting. Like when Robert went to P4C-168--you know, if there's something to study."

"You don't do enough studying here? If you're not in Rothman's office, you're practicing Goa'uld or reading one of Carter's books. You really want to go off-world to study?"

"I do other things," Daniel protested.

Jack snorted. "Right--you train to be a Jaffa in you and Teal'c's spare time." Teal'c raised an eyebrow. It was a joke, of course, but it occurred to him now that that _was_ all Daniel ever really did: study, read, and work.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to go off-world just to _study_. But the Stargate is just...it's so..." He gestured helplessly.

Jack didn't need words to understand that. "Big?" he guessed.

"I suppose. But I don't just mean _big_. When it's active, it just looks so...incredible, and the SG teams walk through like it's nothing. To different _worlds_ , with different peoples and...and everything. I'd like to try it sometime when I'm not...well, in peril."

"Hey, I get it, kid. It's a rush, sure, but--"

"You know," Daniel prodded, "Goa'uld is the basis of the language spoken on a lot of planets."

"Because the addresses we got from Abydos were ones the Goa'uld knew. Yeah, we've noticed that," Jack answered cautiously. "That's why Teal'c handles talks for us when we need it."

"Not every team travels with a Jaffa. Civilians go through the 'gate to help communicate, and you know no one else here speaks enough Goa'uld to be useful."

"If the people on a planet speak Goa'uld, we can probably assume it's not 'a safe planet' and we wouldn't be sending civilians through anyway."

"Some of them _used_ to be Goa'uld planets but aren't anymore," Daniel said. "And Cimmeria's supposed to be free of Goa'uld."

"Okay, look," Jack said firmly. "First of all, 'no' to Cimmeria. Second, for the rest, you'd need to get permission from the general, but I'd still go with...no." Daniel looked disappointed but, fortunately, not particularly surprised. "If there's a completely safe planet, _maybe_ he'd let you go with a team, but more than that? No way that's going to happen."

"I wasn't really expecting it to," he admitted, "but I thought I'd ask again." He shrugged. "So you're leaving at 1400 for Cimmeria?"

Jack searched his expression for a moment longer, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Good luck finding Thor, Jack! _Rel'tor'key_ , Teal'c," Daniel said, his enthusiasm returning. "I'll be back here to watch you guys leave," he added, then gathered up Rothman's notes and left.

These days, they tended to let Daniel into the control room to watch as the SG teams left to go off-world. Jack had been surprised that he wasn't going around touching everything, but apparently he simply liked watching the 'gate activate and ripple. Jack couldn't deny that he understood the draw.

"We've still got hours before we leave, Teal'c," Jack said. "Go ahead and finish whatever you need, and then get ready."

"I will be here on time, O'Neill."

Hammond's voice hailed him before he made it out of the briefing room, and he stepped into the office. "General?" he asked.

"If this alien race turns out to be as powerful as we're hoping, I don't need to tell you that coming to a working agreement with them will be a major priority," Hammond said without preface.

"No, sir, I'm aware of that. As long as we don't have too much language difficulty, we can handle it."

"I'm sure you can," the general assured him. "I also want you to make sure you know everything you need to about this race before you start any dealings with them."

Well, that sounded like a warning. "Sir?"

"I'd rather err on the side of caution about any race that masquerades as gods, Colonel."

"These are supposed to be the good guys," Jack pointed out, though he understood the importance of the caveat.

Hammond sighed. "I hope that's true. If they are what Dr. Rothman described, then an alliance with them would be an incredible advantage. If, however, they have less than honorable motives...well, I don't want to see the Goa'uld fall just so someone worse can take their place, dragging us along with them."

"Yeah, I can see how that might be bad. General, if this whole...benevolent gods thing does pan out, though, how far are we authorized to take things? Should we dive right in and try to meet with them or leave the negotiations for Kovachek's team?"

"I'll leave this one to SG-1. If you feel the need for SG-9's support, contact me through the MALP and I'll send them through."

"Yes, sir." He paused, then asked, "If you don't mind, sir, what's Daniel doing setting up briefings?"

"He was only sitting in with Dr. Rothman," Hammond reminded him. "I understand he has a very personal interest in matters concerning the Goa'uld, but as long as everything is handled objectively, I don't see the problem. I won't ignore good information on account of his age."

"Right, sir. It's just...he's getting deeper into everything that goes on here. He started out doing a couple of translations; now people give _him_ Egyptian and Goa'uld stuff to look at without even going through Rothman sometimes. He's also started to bring up going through the 'gate again, and honestly, at this rate, soon there won't be much logical reason to stop him."

"He's a civilian; there's a reason for you."

"He reminded me just now that Rothman went through the 'gate once, and two other civilians have, too."

Hammond folded his hands on his desk. "Dr. Rothman is not a minor."

"Yes, sir, and according to Abydonian culture, in something like half a year, Daniel won't be, either." The general scowled, and Jack added, "I'm not trying to convince you it's a good idea. I'm just saying that sooner or later, Daniel probably _will_ come in here asking you to let him help one of the teams at an archaeological site or some meet-and-greet, and he'll have good reasons to support it."

Hammond pursed his lips. "I appreciate the warning, Colonel, and the fact that you're taking an interest in his wellbeing. Keep in mind that I still have final say, whether or not he thinks his arguments are good. If Mr. Jackson's going through the Stargate endangers anyone, including himself, I will not allow it to happen. Now, is there anything else, Colonel?"

Good enough for now. "No, sir," Jack said. "SG-1 will be prepared to leave for Cimmeria this afternoon."

XXXXX

**_13 November 1997; Hall of Mjolnir, Cimmeria; 2000 hrs_ **

Several hours later, Jack was standing in a cave with Teal'c, staring at a...well, it was a mess. It had been a pretty ugly talking monster even _before_ they'd shot it full of holes.

"So...is it dead?" he asked, staring at the _thing_.

"I believe it is, O'Neill," Teal'c told him.

"Now, see, Teal'c, you said that before, and it kinda came back to life."

"Without the healing power of the Goa'uld, this body will no longer regenerate. There is too much damage."

Jack considered the unmoving body of the Unas lying in the Hammer, waited another few moments to make sure it would stay unmoving, and conceded, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"O'Neill."

"What?"

"The message from the being called Thor said only the host could leave this place alive."

 _Oh, no, don't you dare..._ "Right," Jack said.

"Perhaps this could be of some benefit to Daniel Jackson's kin who were taken by the Goa'uld," Teal'c said neutrally, making no move to leave the chamber.

Jack tried not to think too hard about Daniel's bright, hopeful eyes, confident that they would succeed and bring home a silver bullet (or hammer) that would defeat the Goa'uld once and for all. But this wasn't a hard choice; there _was_ no decision to make. He did not leave his men behind.

"Yeah, I thought of that too, but this is the only way out," Jack said firmly. "I'll shoot the damn thing and shut it down, and then we'll get out of here."

"No," Teal'c said.

"No?" Jack repeated, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"I will remain here. I was with those who took the boy and his sister from Abydos. I wronged them, and this technology can save them."

"Not an option," Jack said harshly. "I told Carter that we'd never fail a member of our team, and now I'm telling you the same thing. I'm not leaving unless you leave with me. Now give me your staff weapon." When the Jaffa hesitated, he barked, "That's an order, Teal'c!"

For a moment, he thought of simply walking into the chamber and shooting at the Hammer with his MP5 until it cracked or shorted or whatever the hell it was supposed to do, but he'd run out of ammo already. In any case, Jack needed Teal'c to let him do this. Self-sacrifice was noble and all, but he had to know that his team understood what it meant to be on SG-1--and that meant understanding that no member was expendable.

He needed every member of the team to be willing to die for the others. He also needed them to understand that he wouldn't let them.

When Teal'c finally held the staff out to him, he took it quickly, relieved and a little worried it would be pulled away at the last moment, then walked through the barrier separating the Hall of Meol-whatever from Thor's Hammer. He took a moment to nudge the Unas with his foot and then bent to make sure there was no pulse. Dead--good. It occurred to him that maybe an Unas didn't have the same pulse points as humans, but hell, no way that thing was still alive with that many holes in its hide.

Satisfied, he primed and aimed the staff weapon. "Stand back," he called to Teal'c, then braced himself as he let fly a blast over the doorway. He flinched back instinctively as the entire area flashed and sparked, as if there were charge running along it, but there was no effect that he could feel. When the Hammer was quiet again, he called, "Teal'c, try coming through now."

Silently, Teal'c walked gingerly through the doorway and visibly relaxed when nothing happened to him or Junior. "My symbiote and I are unharmed, O'Neill."

"Good." Realizing the staff weapon was still in his hand, he held it out to his teammate. "Glad to see it."

"Thank you, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said with a stiff bow.

"De nada," Jack said casually. "C'mon, let's get back to the 'gate. Nothing better have happened to Carter while we were stuck in here with the damn Unas." Stepping out of the stone labyrinth and blinking when they met sunlight, he reached up to the radio still clipped to his shoulder. "Carter," he called, "this is O'Neill. Do you copy?"

The response came right away. _"Colonel, this is Carter. Are you all right?"_

Jack sighed in relief, setting off with Teal'c behind him. "Carter, we're both fine. What's your position?"

_"I'm at the Stargate, sir."_

Still? Jack frowned, wondering why she'd stuck around there. Obviously she hadn't left them for dead, or she wouldn't be on the planet anymore, but why hadn't she tried looking for them? Then again, there'd been people waiting for them when they'd stepped out... "Any problems we should know about, Captain?"

 _"Negative, sir. They just didn't trust me enough to let me begin a search."_ The frustration in her voice was clearly audible.

"Copy. Maintain your position. We're en route to the Stargate, ETA unknown. Radio check in thirty minutes."

_"Yes, sir. Carter out."_

Jack dropped his hand from the radio and turned to Teal'c. "You okay, buddy?"

"My symbiote and I are unharmed," he repeated, his face stony.

"Yeah, I know that. I meant about the--" Jack started, then decided to leave any unresolved questions for when they were safely back on base. "Good. Keep it that way."

"I believe that Daniel Jackson will be most distressed about the destruction of the Hammer," Teal'c said.

"Yeah. None of us wanted it destroyed. But none of us wanted you dead, either, so I'd say it's a good deal." Teal'c didn't answer.

It took almost three hours to reach the Stargate. Carter was sitting on the steps leading to the ring, while the natives of this planet stood nearby. They didn't seem to be threatening her or guarding the area, but, staying out of sight, Jack reached up to his radio and sent two short clicks.

He saw her stand and respond by voice, _"Colonel, it's really okay. They'll let us through."_

Shrugging, he broke cover and walked purposefully toward the 'gate, Teal'c right behind him.

A dark-haired woman stepped forward. "You have been cleansed," she told them in tones of congratulation. "You are now free. Thor is pleased."

 _Thor's a hologram, and the only thing that got cleansed was a dead Unas_ , he thought, but Carter spoke up hastily, first, saying, "Yes, Thor must be pleased. Thank you, Gairwyn. I'm so...pleased to see you've been freed, Teal'c, Colonel. Sir."

"What's going on, Carter?" he asked quietly.

"Little misunderstanding," she told him, just as softly. "They were suspicious, not hostile. We should probably get out of here before we make some other cultural blunder."

Jack looked between her and the locals for a moment, then said loudly, "Right. Go Thor." As Carter began to dial home, however, he grimaced and turned to the spokeswoman. "Ah...there's something we should probably tell you. About Thor's Hammer..."

XXXXX

**_14 November 1997; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs_ **

Rothman was in the briefing room again when Jack entered. Daniel was already sitting at the table beside him, paging half-heartedly through sheets of what could have been reports or reference material. Two books--on the Vikings, judging by the few pictures he could see--were spread in front of both of them.

Without stopping, Jack turned to head toward General Hammond's office, only to find his superior had already come out. "General, I'd like to request that this debriefing be open to SG-1 and yourself only," he said.

Hammond's eyes went to the archaeologist and his assistant as well, and he seemed to be wavering when Daniel said stiffly, "Jack, we all heard your preliminary report last night. We know Cimmeria wasn't what we told you it would be, but Robert and I still have a right to be here if we can help answer some questions."

Jack turned again, saying carefully, "I can go over this with you later, Daniel. We'll be okay with questions."

"You figured out what Asgard is, then?" Daniel snapped.

"Mr. Jackson, Colonel O'Neill," Hammond said sternly. "Take a seat, Colonel."

Jack sat.

"P3X-974?" Hammond prompted.

"Right," he muttered. "A crowd of people met us in front of the Stargate when we arrived on P3X-974, Cimmeria, chanting Thor's name but not welcoming or attacking us. There was a...tall pillar with markings on it that shone a light over us, probably scanning us."

"Markings? Scanning for what?" the general asked.

"Couldn't read the markings--they looked like runes or something--and it was scanning for Goa'ulds, apparently. It passed over me and Carter but stopped on Teal'c and transported him away somehow. I grabbed onto him just beforehand, so I was brought along for the ride." He looked expectantly at Carter, who picked up the thread.

"Their spokesperson was a woman named Gairwyn who seemed to think that I'd tricked Teal'c and the colonel into stepping onto Cimmeria. She assumed they were both Ettins--Goa'ulds--and told me that Thor protected the world by killing the Goa'uld."

Hammond narrowed his eyes. "The people on this world readily participate in the murder of Goa'uld and their hosts?"

"Apparently, sir," she said, looking rather obviously away from the anthropology contingent, "the host is left alone, and only the symbiote is destroyed."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Is that possible?" he asked sharply, the question directed at Teal'c. "Without hurting the host?"

"I have never heard of such a possibility before," Teal'c admitted, "but neither have I ever seen advanced technology of the kind that protected that world."

"Basically," Jack clarified, "we know this Thor guy has a way to kill snakes. We don't have any way of verifying that it would leave the host healthy, or even alive."

"I can attest to 'alive,'" Carter told them. "A woman named Kendra living in the main village on Cimmeria has apparently undergone the...procedure. I didn't notice any physical damage to her, besides the entry scar at the back of her neck, but I can't say for sure whether separating and killing the Goa'uld left her mind and personality intact or not."

"You weren't able to speak with her, Captain?" Hammond said, looking confused.

Carter winced. "There was a misunderstanding--my fault. I'm afraid I had trouble making them understand where we were from, so they were suspicious already, especially when I told them that Teal'c and the colonel were my friends. Gairwyn did take me to see Kendra, but I saw her using what appeared to be a Goa'uld ribbon device on a child as we approached. I later found out it was some sort of healing technology, but at the time, I reacted by reaching for my weapon. Gairwyn was understanding of my mistake but insisted that I either return home or wait by the Stargate. I'm sorry--I mishandled it."

"But they still let you stay there without threatening harm?" the general clarified.

"That's correct, sir, and they let me do rubbings of the language on the pillar--maybe someone on base can read it. They didn't accept the gift you sent with us, that box with Ir-192 from the Sagan Institute, but there didn't appear to be any hard feelings, at least from Gairwyn. I tried to explain that we were from the same original planet, but they didn't know what I meant by Earth."

"Midgard," Rothman spoke up.

"What was that, Doctor?"

Rothman was looking at one of his books. "If they knew this planet at all, it was probably as 'Midgard' or something similar; I don't think we coined the term 'Earth' until relatively recently. It's something to consider if we ever go back there."

"Would ' _Mid_ gard' have something to do with ' _As_ gard?'" Jack asked.

"Yes," Daniel said, while Rothman said, "Not really."

Jack looked between them as they traded glances. "And the consensus is...?"

Rothman shrugged and waved a hand at Daniel, who told them flatly, "The words _are_ related in etymology. The '-gard' means 'enclosure,' referring to a place. Midgard was their whole material world--Earth. Asgard was the capital of the Æsir. We don't know if it's somewhere on Earth or a completely separate place."

"The Æsir," Rothman added, "are the ones we were hoping to find: the powerful, warlike gods of Norse mythology. Like Thor."

"So this transportation device took you and Teal'c to Asgard?" the general asked.

"Actually, no, sir. It was a...cave or labyrinth called the Hall of Meol-something-or-other--"

"Probably Mjolnir," Daniel said, "the name of Thor's Hammer."

Jack's lips twisted. "Should've just brought one of you with us," he said under his breath, then kicked himself because he'd been on the opposite side of that argument only yesterday. "Anyway, there was a hologram of a Viking warrior there. It was a recorded message, apparently from Thor, the supreme commander of the Asgard fleet."

Carter frowned. "Is 'Asgard' a place? I've been assuming it was the name of the race we were looking for."

"Either way, the point is, if you're carrying a Goa'uld, you get sucked into the Hall of...into the Hall. There's a nasty beast called Unas, who apparently was the first Goa'uld host and just kept on living there and killing people in the Hall. Goa'uld technology doesn't work, so you have to rely on good, old-fashioned projectile weapons to survive and fight it off. If you survive Unas, the only exit is through Thor's Hammer, the actual device that kills the Goa'uld."

"I see," Hammond said. "So, the Hammer wasn't a technology that could be brought back here after all."

"No, sir. Even in the best scenario, we could only have used it by somehow tricking or manhandling all the Goa'uld onto that planet."

"And since the Goa'uld all know to avoid Cimmeria..."

"Would've been pretty hard. Anyway, we held off Unas until we ran out of bullets, and Teal'c finished him off by shoving him through the Hammer. And then...there was no other way for us to get out, so--"

"Thor's Hammer was destroyed using my staff weapon in order to free me from the Hall of Mjolnir," Teal'c interrupted.

A soft crash and slithering sounds made him turn. "Sorry," Daniel mumbled, sliding out of his chair to pick up a pile of papers he'd accidentally nudged off the table.

" _I_ made the call and destroyed Thor's Hammer, sir," Jack said, "and we got out and rendezvoused with Captain Carter. The inhabitants seemed to think we'd been...cleansed of the Goa'uld, and they let us through the Stargate."

During the following pause, Daniel reclaimed his chair, quietly replacing his papers. Jack cleared his throat.

"So, in summary, we learned that Cimmeria has been protected by Thor's race, who have developed technology that can kill Goa'uld symbiotes and at least partially saves the host in the process. The device was destroyed."

"Thank you, Colonel," Hammond sighed. "We'll have to hope the ramifications of that are something we and the people of Cimmeria can handle."

"We don't believe the Cimmerians are in immediate danger," Carter said. "The Goa'uld don't know that Thor's Hammer is gone, and we've warned them to seal off the cave where the Hammer was. Also, sir, the people were remarkably tolerant of us in light of our missteps, even potentially friendly. Cimmeria is a place we could visit again if necessary, though I would suggest including someone better versed in Norse culture and mythology."

"And their language," Rothman added.

"No, they spoke English," she told him.

"That's impossible," Daniel said, almost dismissively.

A little impatiently, Jack said, "We know what we heard, Daniel."

Rothman blinked at them all, then said, "Hey, no, Daniel's got a point. Vikings didn't show up on Earth until long after our Stargate closed. There's no way they should have the same spoken English _or_ written Norse that we have on Earth."

"Could they have developed separately?" Carter asked, frowning.

"In exactly the same way? Was their English similar to ours?"

She looked thoughtful. "It was...odd-sounding. Old-fashioned, maybe, I don't know, but close enough to understand. But then...you're saying Earth must have had contact with Cimmeria, or with someone from another planet, even after our Stargate was buried."

"The Goa'uld have ships," Rothman pointed out.

"And you think Thor has one, too?" Jack asked. "People on Earth have been 'visited' by big, hulking, Viking aliens? Give me a break."

"Do you have a better explanation?" Daniel countered, his voice starting to take on a desperate tone. "If Thor's race has been communicating with Earth somehow, it's another reason to go looking for him. And...and General, even without the Hammer, according to mythology there are still other...things to look for. Thor supposedly had a belt that gave him strength and a chariot that he rode--either of those could be some sort of...of device as well, not to mention that there are probably other beings of his race."

"And do we know where these devices might be found, Mr. Jackson?" Hammond said neutrally.

Daniel looked down to flip through his book. "Uh...There are...w-well, a few other place names that could be associated with him...Asgard, Bilskinir...um...Thrudvangar or Thrudheim..."

"Do you have any idea if these places actually exist, or how to find them?"

"I was...hoping someone might have heard of them before," he said in a small voice. He looked pleadingly toward Teal'c.

Teal'c, however, said only, "I have not."

"Then maybe...maybe somewhere on Cimmeria..."

"Daniel," the general said, cutting him off. "We don't have a solid lead to go on."

Daniel dropped his gaze and slowly closed his book. "Yes, sir. I know. I'm sorry."

"So'm I, son, believe me. Keep an eye out for those places or names, and let the other translators know to look for them, too. Cimmeria will be noted as a potentially friendly planet. That's all we can do." Hammond looked around, then nodded and stood. "We're done here, people. SG-1 is on stand-down until your next mission. You're dismissed."

XXXXX

**_14 November 1997; SGC, Earth; 1000 hrs_ **

"Rothman--" Jack started as he knocked on the open office door.

"Looking for Daniel?" the man guessed. "I told him to take the day off. I think he went to find Captain Carter."

"Okay, then." He turned to go and was stopped again.

"Colonel O'Neill..."

Jack gritted his teeth. "What?"

"Uh, just so you know...Daniel was putting a lot into this. I mean, once we got a whiff of the possibility, he sprinted through the translations to be able to put together what we needed about Norse gods."

"That was all him?"

"The two of us don't usually deal with the Germanic stuff. It probably would have been kicked over to Barr's office, except Daniel had already found everything, and even then we still had to spend a couple of days cramming everything we could. The thing is, he really thought this was--"

"--the one, yeah, I know."

"Just wanted to warn you he's a little upset," Rothman said, scratching his head. "I think he was even trying to learn Old Norse so we could communicate with Thor."

Jack couldn't help a snort. "In, what, like, a week?"

Rothman shrugged as if to say _'what can you do?'_ , then said, "Look, uh, I'm sorry the planet wasn't all we said it was going to be. I should've tried harder to verify the--"

"Not a lot of what we do here can be verified with books, Doc," he said impatiently, already edging out of the room. "We were all hoping the same thing. We went, we saw, we were wrong. Better get used to the feeling," he called as he started to walk away.

Carter was coming out of her office when he stepped into the lab. "Did you need something from me, sir?" she asked.

"Not exactly. Did Daniel come down here?"

"He's in my office," she said.

"Doing...?"

"He asked to look over our reports from Cimmeria, and I let him sit in my office to do it."

Belated though the thought was, he wondered aloud, "So he's allowed to read that stuff?"

"Yes, sir, the general said it was fine for this mission--he knows everything we do about it, anyway. Other teams' reports, maybe not, if he's not involved with the mission--but frankly, information like this isn't going to be a secret from anyone who works here."

 _Daniel doesn't 'work' here_ , he thought, but that hadn't been true for a few weeks now, so he only asked, "What's he looking for, then?"

She shrugged unhappily. "Dr. Barr's going over the rubbings from the pillar. Daniel's...frustrated about not being able to read the language, so he's looking for some other clue in the reports, I guess. I think he's hoping he'll catch something we missed."

"If we missed it, it wouldn't be in the reports, because _we_ wrote them," Jack said.

"Yes, sir."

He glanced toward her office. "I'll talk to him. Are you sticking around, Captain? We don't have a mission coming up anytime soon."

"I've got some paperwork to catch up on, but I'll give you two the office. I was going to meet Teal'c and a few others at the gym, anyway. The general asked him to help with hand-to-hand training for the newer guys."

"Good idea," he said absently. "All right, Carter, I'll see you around."

"Yes, sir." She nodded and left the lab.

Jack froze when he looked into the office and found Daniel scrubbing at his eyes. "Hey," he said softly, leaning against the doorframe. "You okay?"

When Daniel brought his hand down, however, his eyes were dry. "Yes," he answered, digging in his pocket and fishing out his glasses. "I've gotten too used to these--my eyes are starting to hurt when I read without them for long."

Slightly relieved, Jack quipped, "Well, that's usually a sign you've been reading too much."

"No, the font's just too small," Daniel said, then wrinkled his nose before admitting, "I was looking at the runes from Cimmeria, and... I would have needed to transcribe them all to a more familiar alphabet and then look up half the words, just to get an impression of the meaning."

"Finally found a language you can't read?"

"There are lots of languages I can't read, Jack," he replied tightly, tapping the end of his pen restlessly on the tabletop. "That's why I mostly work on Semitic, Latinate, or Goa'uld languages, and not with Lieutenant Hagman or Dr. Barr on Asian or Germanic texts."

"Ah," Jack said, not having been aware that Daniel had such well-defined duties. "Okay."

"Jack, are you here to tell me..." He stopped. "Never mind."

"No, no. What? What did think I came here to say?"

"That you were right about Cimmeria and I was wrong, but, but," he said quickly when Jack pushed himself away from the doorframe and indignantly opened his mouth to speak, "I know you aren't like that. That's why I didn't finish the sentence the first time," he pointed out.

"I wanted to meet the Viking gods as much as you did, Daniel," Jack said. "And you and Rothman were right about Thor and all that stuff."

"Not right enough." Daniel pulled the glasses off again and glared at them.

Jack eyed the frames dangling from his hand. "You gonna leave those on or off?"

In answer, Daniel dropped them onto the desk, letting his arm fall next to them. "There's nothing here, Jack! I've been looking, and I thought...maybe there was something that could tell us...I don't even know what." He sighed dejectedly, then carefully closed the folder and stood. "I'm wasting time. I should be looking at some of the other--"

"Whoa, hey, a day here or there isn't going to make a difference, kid," Jack said, stepping further in and digging his hands into his pockets. "Rothman said you put a lot of time into this. Sit down and...relax for a while, will you? I'll get you out of the Mountain myself if you need to get away."

The pen in Daniel's hand stopped tapping and he tightened his grip around it in a fist. "What if we could find something? Another world with another Mjolnir, or something else that could... Jack, if we could have just gotten Skaara and Sha'uri to Thor's Hammer, they could have been..."

"We don't have a clue about where they are or how to get them there," Jack said bluntly. "And we don't even know for sure whether it would have saved them."

"It might have. We'll never find out now."

"We had to destroy it, you know that." There was no answer. "Daniel?"

"So Teal'c could get out."

"Yes," Jack said, firmly. "Because I wasn't leaving a good man in there to die because we hope that we might possibly be able to find and round up two people, who could be literally anywhere, guarded by who knows what, especially when we don't even know if it would have done any good."

Daniel listlessly picked up his glasses. "I didn't mean I thought you should have left Teal'c to die," he said quietly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Jack said, watching him warily. "What _did_ you mean?"

"I wish it didn't have to be a choice between the people I grew up with and...and people I know _here_ ," he replied, frustrated. "If I wish you hadn't destroyed it, it means I wish Teal'c died. If I'm glad Teal'c lived, I'm...turning my back on my brother and sister. There's no good choice."

Jack sighed and took the other chair. "You're making it too black and white, kid. It's not about making a choice between them. Teal'c's alive. Skaara and Sha'uri are still alive."

"But--"

"But now we know it's possible to save them. We know there are people out there--beings like Thor--who can kill a Goa'uld and leave the host behind. There's a heckuva lot in this universe we still haven't seen yet, Daniel. There's still a chance."

Daniel exhaled, saying hopelessly, "We don't even know if the host stays the same. Teal'c says he was always told they didn't, and maybe the Goa'uld are just lying when they say that, but maybe it's true--maybe there's just...nothing left of who they were before the Goa'uld took them."

"There _is_ something left," Jack said. Daniel looked up in question. Jack went on, "Right after Chulak, when Major Kawalsky got snaked, even though we couldn't get the thing out of him, he still knew things that only Kawalsky could've known. Something of the host still survives."

A bit of hope returned into Daniel's voice. "Then you think...then we just have to get..."

"There's still a _chance_ ," he emphasized, "but we have to wait until we know how to do it. Right now, we're probably in more danger than either Skaara or Sha'uri. We'll keep looking for them and for a way to help them. But Daniel...there's no _'just'_ anything about this. We can't run in, guns blazing, and solve things by brute force, which is all we've got right now. It could take a long time before we're in a position to do anything against the Goa'uld."

Daniel turned back to Carter's desk, fiddling with the arms of his glasses. "How long is a long time?"

Jack reached out and put a quelling hand over Daniel's nervous fingers before they could twist the frames out of shape. "This isn't a simple search and rescue with a clear objective and endpoint," he said. "We're fighting a war, and compared with our enemy, we're...ignorant and practically powerless. Our best hope, and your brother and sister's best hope, is to stay under the radar until we have enough knowledge and allies to do some good."

Daniel extracted his hand from under Jack's and wrapped his arms around himself. "What if we don't find them before Tobay opens the Stargate on Abydos?"

The SGC couldn't afford to make the two Abydons a higher priority; they both knew that, and Jack wasn't going to try to pretend otherwise. "The SGC isn't shutting down when you leave," Jack said instead of answering directly. "As long as this program keeps running, we might still find something or someone who can help them. I won't stop looking."

"I talked with Teal'c about this," Daniel told him. "If I stayed here, I could help, but if I go back to Abydos..."

"Daniel, what--you have..." ... _family,_ Jack wanted to say, except a lot of that family was dead or still missing. He tried again: "I know how much you've wanted to go back home."

"Would I be allowed to stay if I wanted to?" he asked, somehow sounding both defiant and lost at once.

Jack hesitated. "Probably," he allowed, because Daniel would be an easy sell after Teal'c, " _if_ you wanted it. No one'll make you do that. Wait...did Teal'c tell you that you should stay on Earth?" he asked, a little alarmed. He didn't think Teal'c would do that, but the Jaffa could be pretty damn ruthless when it came to matters of revenge and the Goa'uld. Daniel, young and raw and already a genius, was useful to the SGC's efforts--even Jack wouldn't deny that.

"No," Daniel said. "It's not like that; we've just been talking. He left his home, too, you know, and I want the Goa'uld dead as much as he does. If I stay, it'll be because of that."

Then again, Daniel had shown with this whole Thor thing that he could get pretty fanatical about the Goa'uld, too. Jack wondered if he'd gotten it from Teal'c, or if it was what had drawn the two of them close to begin with.

"And is that...what you want?" he asked, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

Several moments of silence passed before Daniel admitted, "I don't know. I've been thinking about it for weeks, but I don't know. Jack?"

"Yeah."

"What does 'under the radar' mean?"

"Wha--" Jack had to replay the last few minutes of conversation before he realized why Daniel was asking. "Geez, kid. You been saving that question?" Daniel shrugged, so he replied, "It means we have to work carefully without being noticed by the enemy."

"You think you--we--can beat the Goa'uld, when we're so far behind?"

 _Good question_ , he thought. "Sure," he said confidently. "We took one of 'em out before we even had a clue what they were, and I hear Ra's supposed to be a big shot."

"They didn't know about the Tau'ri then," Daniel pointed out, not fooled by the bravado. "They won't be surprised next time."

" _We'll_ know more next time, too. Besides, we didn't need any of their fancy technology to get rid of Ra. We can kick their a--behinds the old-fashioned way, and maybe that's something they'll forget to protect against. Now," he said, not wanting to drag on that line of thought any longer, because there was little optimism he could offer, "are you done with those reports?"

"I suppose so," Daniel said with a sigh, gathering the papers into the proper folders. His hand brushed the glasses off the desk as he handed them over. " _Yi shay_ ," he cursed before he bent down to retrieve them.

"Well, Rothman told me he gave you the day today, so..." Jack trailed off, noticing the glasses in Daniel's hand trembling ever so slightly. A thought struck him, and he asked, casually, "Are you still going to Teal'c for language lessons and whatnot?"

"I was planning to, yes. He usually lets me practice with him early in the mornings or in the evenings unless he's busy with something else. Why, did he say something to you about...?"

"No, just wondering. And you understand that it's not his fault Thor's Hammer was destroyed."

Daniel stopped halfway through rising from his seat and sat back down. "It wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for him. But it's not as if he could help it. So I don't blame him. Or you. That's what you're saying? It was because of him, but not his fault?"

Trying to decide how to interpret that, Jack said slowly, "Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

Daniel looked away. "I don't want anyone else to die, Jack. Not Teal'c and not you. He saved your life too, didn't he?" He gestured toward the reports. "From Unas. Although..."

"Although what?" Jack asked apprehensively.

"I was thinking," he said slowly, speeding up as his thoughts caught up to him, "that Unas was probably named that after the pharaoh in Egypt, but actually, since he was the _first_ host it might be a different etymology, yes? Like ' _unus_ ,' meaning 'one.' So why would the word be so close to Latin--maybe an ancestor language--and not something more...I don't know. German? Or Norse. Do you think maybe Unas came from somewhere else originally, where Latinate languages were more dominant? Or Egyptian, if he is the inspiration for myths about the pharaoh Unas?"

Jack stared at him in disbelief. "Ah..."

"Because if he did, and there's a planet of...of Unas that were the first Goa'uld hosts...we could learn a lot from that, Jack, I mean, think about it--there'd probably be at least something there to tell us...something about how everything started, or where the Goa'uld came from or...I don't know, but _something_ , and we could use that to--"

Trying to cut off the overflow of speculation, Jack said, " _Daniel_." Daniel stopped and took a breath. "We've been over this," Jack reminded him gently. "Don't pin your hopes on something so far out of our reach. Something we don't even know exists. Maybe there's a planet of Unas"--personally, Jack would be happy never to find one--"and maybe we'll stumble on it and learn something, but until then, we've got to focus on what we know and what we can do. Okay?"

Reluctantly, Daniel nodded. "I understand," he said soberly, without any lightness lurking behind his voice, like there had been yesterday morning, before Cimmeria.

"I'm sorry, kid, but... Just put Cimmeria aside for now. Keep Thor in the back of your mind if you want but stop thinking about it, just for a while."

Daniel nodded again, then tucked his glasses away into a pocket and stood. "Then I suppose I'll just...well, if SG-1 doesn't have any missions for a few days, do you think Teal'c will be in his room now?"

Jack studied him and, satisfied that there wouldn't be a problem, said, "Nah, he's in the gym, helping to train some of the newbies. New recruits," he clarified when he saw Daniel about to ask. "That's where Carter went, too."

"Can I watch?"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You wanna watch airmen getting their asses handed to them? That's your idea of fun?"

"I could go read the physics book Sam gave me."

"Oh, for crying out loud..." Jack couldn't decide whether or not he was serious, but in the end, he decided, "I'll do you one better. I'll go up to the gym with you, and I'll show you a few things the Air Force way. If you get tired, you can watch what other people are doing. Maybe you'll learn something from them."

"Really?" Daniel asked. "You'd do that?"

"I've seen you working with Teal'c on that loco stuff--"

" _Lok'nel_ , Jack."

"--so you might as well see how we Tau'ri do it. Like I said before, if I knock you down, it'll hurt less than if Teal'c does. Not exactly a day playing in the park, but it's a change from reading all day."

"I don't mind reading."

"Yeah, I've noticed. In fact...what are you doing this weekend?"

Daniel wrinkled his brow. "Just...what I normally do, I suppose."

"What exactly _do_ you do when you're here on your own?"

"There are always people around," he said vaguely. "I don't mind."

"I never see you talk to 'people,'" Jack pointed out, "aside from us and some of the scientists, who aren't always here on the weekends."

"Teal'c is always here unless you're off-world. I usually talk to him or work or read in his room," Daniel said with a quick, wry smile. "How do you think I've been learning Goa'uld so quickly?"

"Sounds fun," Jack lied. "You wanna spend the weekend at my place again?"

"I don't...mind it here," Daniel repeated, reddening slightly. "You don't have to--"

"You need to see something besides cement walls once in a while," Jack told him firmly. "We'll go over a few basic drills, and then we'll get off this base and take the weekend to relax. No missions, no research, no stress. Oh, hey--you ever been fishing?"

"For...you mean, to catch fish?"

"No, to..." Jack started, before deciding the sarcasm might be lost on someone who had to ask to be sure that fishing meant catching fish. "Yeah. Not the best time of year for it yet, but who cares. Have you ever tried it?"

"I've seen people, uh, do fishing at the river on Abydos. There's a river somewhere?"

"There's a lake not too far from my house. Not my favorite place, but that one's a little _too_ far."

"And there are fish there?"

"I'm not really sure," Jack said. Daniel's brow wrinkled, looking very confused, so he added, "It's not really about catching fish." This did not seem to clarify anything. "C'mon, go get changed and meet me at the gym. I'll explain the zen of fishing later."

The enthusiasm didn't quite return to Daniel's expression, but there was a familiar, curious gleam trying to sneak into his eyes, and the slump in his shoulders was disappearing. "Yes--I mean, yeah, okay. Fishing."

With a two-fingered salute, Jack backed out of the office and headed past the scientists and out of the lab.


	10. Alien

**_12 December 1997; SGC, Earth, 1400 hrs_ **

Daniel learned about something called 'influenza' that winter, although most people simply called it 'the flu.' He also learned that Janet was much more stern when she was acting as a doctor and not just a friend, especially when her patients were lazy about checking in with her.

When he'd started coughing, she'd made him go to see her every morning for days and not go to the office until afternoon. As it turned out, having the flu did make him a little tired, but compared to illnesses on Abydos, it was nothing. Maybe that had more to do with the medicines here, though, which made him sleepy but also would have been like miracles to people back home.

Still, Janet said something about differences in germs between planets and had wanted to be careful. After the incident with the Touched on P3X-797, he supposed he couldn't blame her for wanting to be watchful about absolutely every illness that passed through the base, even something apparently Earth-based and mild.

Robert got more nervous, though, even when Daniel was almost better aside from a few lingering coughs and sneezes. Daniel was pretty sure it was because he didn't want to get sick, too, and flu was one of those diseases that could be spread between people.

So when Daniel sneezed in the office, Robert asked without looking up, "You still getting over that 'flu, or just allergic to dust?"

"What exactly does that mean?" Daniel asked idly, sniffing and shaking his head to clear it. "People here keep saying 'allergic to dust,' but isn't dust just very small...anything? How can you be allergic to 'dust' if dust is different everywhere? Or is there something common to all dust that people can be allergic to?"

The scratching of Robert's pencil stopped at that, and he looked up with raised eyebrows. "I didn't... It's actually dust _mites_. Not the actual...dust. It's just easier to say."

"Dust _mights_?"

"They're bugs. _Mite_ , as in tiny. Microscopic." Robert knew a lot about allergies. He even had an inhaler that he'd shown Daniel before, for when it got really bad--'allergic asthma,' he'd called it--although he usually didn't need to use it.

"Oh. Maybe dust mites don't live in deserts. Or they just don't live on Abydos. Or maybe there _are_ dust mites, but they're different from the ones here somehow, so I wasn't allergic to them there but I might be here." He rubbed his eyes, then yawned.

Robert snorted and shook his head. "Daniel, you are such a geek. A simple 'it's still the flu' would have sufficed, you know."

"You asked. I just wanted to be precise. And Janet says I'm not contagious anymore."

"Just don't sneeze on an artifact," Robert said.

"I won't," he promised.

"How's that coming, anyway? Is my transliteration clear enough?"

"Yes, it's fine. I'm having trouble with a few words, though; they don't sound Goa'uld, so they might be...that Babylonian language."

"It's an Old Assyrian variant," Robert corrected. "Mark the words. I'll go over them. If I can't figure them out, we'll assume they're Goa'uld and ask Teal'c when he gets back from Chulak with SG-1."

Sam had recently brought back footage of a huge stone covered in what Robert identified as cuneiform. All that SG-1 had been to see of the planet was a long beach that stretched for miles and an ocean that stopped them from continuing on foot. Even the writing didn't tell them much, though obviously there was--or at least had been-- _someone_ living on the planet, or there wouldn't have been any writing at all.

It was a laborious process. With help from several references, Robert could decipher the cuneiform and knew how it was pronounced, but it turned out to be an odd form of Goa'uld, and Robert only knew the most common Goa'uld terms so far. Daniel had become somewhat proficient at understanding the modern standard Goa'uld that Teal'c spoke, but he didn't know cuneiform, and there were a few words he couldn't make out that apparently also had roots in Old Assyrian or were words that the cuneiform symbols wouldn't represent effectively. Robert was rewriting the cuneiform script so that Daniel could read it phonetically and translate it back from Goa'uld to something resembling English.

"Did you used to do this a lot?" he asked suddenly.

"Transliterating cuneiform?" Robert said. "No--not since my early grad school days studying classical languages. I studied Egypt, remember? Not so much Babylon."

"No, no, I mean, did you always work mostly from an office? Or did you ever..." Daniel gestured in the direction of the door. "Do you miss going on digs, I mean?"

"A little," Robert allowed. "I like doing bookwork and such, but yeah, you can't replace getting down in the dirt and doing things with your own hands. Why?"

Daniel traced a finger over the printed picture of the rock SG-1 had seen, irrationally disappointed when he touched only paper instead of rock. "No reason. I was just wondering."

Sam had taken a picture of the ocean, too, just for him to see. She'd assured him that it was digital and didn't waste film or anything. Daniel had never seen so much water in one place before--the river that supplied Nagada and the surrounding towns was nothing like this. He wished he'd been able to go, if only to step on sand and then see ocean waves for the first time.

The phone rang. "Robert Rothman speaking," Daniel heard, then stopped listening.

At least some of the teams regularly took pictures of unfamiliar areas and script to send back to base; Sam did that, when she wasn't too busy with soil analysis or examining the engineering technology. Robert and Daniel had also identified a few promising locations on the basis of bared on data from MALP transmissions that might possibly have indicated Goa'uld presence. The two of them had just recently sent SG-4 and -7 for a better look at a couple of them--at least one of them was peopled by a society that, if nothing more, could read and write.

Still, if they could just go and look for themselves sometimes, Daniel was sure it would go faster. Wouldn't first contact be easier with an interpreter around whose main job was to understand and deal with the people there? It struck him as ironic that he was the only civilian truly eager to be sent into the field, without needing a previous determination of safety, and also probably the one civilian who'd have the hardest time convincing them to let him.

Turning back to his work, he'd just decided that _'omoroca'_ had to be either a name or another word he didn't know when he heard Robert say, "Daniel?"

"What?" he mumbled.

When no answer came, he looked up and realized Robert was speaking to someone over the phone. "Yes, sir, I'll send him right down." He hung up and said, "The general wants to see you in the briefing room."

"Me?" he asked stupidly, then amended, "Why? What did I do?"

Robert shrugged. "He didn't say. Just make a note of where you left off and leave your stuff there."

...x...

Daniel didn't recognize either of the two men standing in the briefing room with General Hammond. They were dressed in suits, rather than the BDUs that most personnel wore around the base, and his nerves began to tingle. "General?" he asked tentatively.

"Come in, son," the general invited, though his voice was very serious, and Daniel obeyed, wondering with a little jolt when he'd stopped noticing--and stopped minding--when the man called him 'son.' "Have a seat. You're not in trouble."

That wasn't very comforting, however, considering that he still didn't know why he _was_ there. One of the men pulled out a chair at the end of the table and gestured to it. Daniel would have preferred sitting out of reach of the two men, but he reminded himself that even non-SGC personnel couldn't do anything to him on base, and in front of the general besides. With a glance up at the man holding out the chair, he sat reluctantly, staying perched lightly on the edge of the seat.

"Daniel," the other man said, enunciating his words slowly and clearly, "my name is Colonel Harry Maybourne, and this is Agent David Smithley. We want to ask you a few questions."

He had an inane urge to introduce himself, because he couldn't think of what the correct response was, and ended up remaining unmoving and trying not to look as apprehensive as he felt. A camera was set up in the corner, and he had to force himself not to stare at its blinking red light.

"Do you understand?" Colonel Maybourne asked.

Daniel wondered for a moment what there was not to understand, then flushed indignantly when he realized they thought he didn't understand the _language_. Before he could snap back in his own defense, General Hammond said, "English is one of Mr. Jackson's first languages, Colonel."

"Let the boy answer, please, General," Maybourne said.

"I understand," Daniel said sharply. "What's going on?" It was only then that he realized that anyone who was in the base and knew he wasn't from America must also know he wasn't from Earth, which meant they might know a lot more about him. He folded his arms defensively.

"These gentlemen are from an organization called the NID," General Hammond said. "It's their job to oversee the operation of the SGC."

Daniel frowned. "What does NID mean?"

"That's not important," Maybourne said, which was ridiculous, because the name of something wasn't ever unimportant, and if it was, that could tell him something, too. He'd forgotten about the agent still standing behind his chair, out of sight, so he jumped when Agent Smithley spoke.

"It's not a secret, Colonel. The NID is the National Intelligence Division." Daniel reflexively turned his head toward the voice, stopping when he realized he was just twisting himself around and making himself look ridiculous anyway. His glasses slipped when he faced forward again, and he pulled them off, deciding he wouldn't need them now.

"Daniel, how did you get glasses on your home planet?" Maybourne asked, watching him. "Did the aliens develop the technology to make them?"

"The alie--you mean the Abydonian people?" he asked, bemused by the odd question. "This is something I keep saying--you have to keep in mind the perspective of the person to whom you are talking, Colonel, and remember that 'alien' is a relative term when a...a major goal here is diplomatic relations. I suppose that kind of thinking could be part of why you aren't a member of the exploration teams?"

"Mr. Jackson," the general said as Maybourne's eyebrows shot upward. Daniel turned toward him, just in time to see a small smile disappear. The sight made him relax a little, even though he hadn't realized before that he was so nervous. "Why don't we stick to the question. Colonel Maybourne was asking about your glasses."

"No, we didn't have things like that," Daniel said. "Dr. Frasier gave these glasses to me after I..." He looked toward General Hammond again, wondering how he was supposed to phrase things. The organization overseeing Stargate operations would have clearance, right? When the man said nothing, he continued, erring on the side of caution, "...after I arrived, uh...here."

"Yes, the official report calls you a 'refugee granted asylum within Stargate Command,'" Maybourne said, recovering and reading from a file. "What were the circumstances of your displacement?"

Daniel blinked, running the question through his mind. "The...circumstances of my...displacement? Um..." Since leaving Abydos and Chulak, he'd never actually been anywhere where he had to worry about what he was allowed to say, but he knew everything was supposed to be a secret to people outside the SGC.

"Go ahead," the general told him. "You don't have to hide anything."

"Yes, sir," he replied, relieved. "Apophis came through the Stargate on Abydos with his guards. They attacked us, and--"

"Who is 'us,' Daniel?" Agent Smithley prompted.

"Um..." Was he actually expected to remember every person who'd been there at that evening meal? "Bolaa, Tobay, Skaara--I think Dabeh was there--"

"Ah...we don't need the names, son," Maybourne interrupted, and Daniel had to curl his fingers into the fabric of his jacket to stop himself from telling the man that it wasn't okay to call him _'son'_ just because the general did.

"You asked who was there," he pointed out instead.

"Just generalize."

Still somewhat confused, he offered, "We were having our evening meal together, and a lot of people gathered to help to welcome the Tau'ri soldiers."

"Tau'ri?" Maybourne asked. "Does that mean 'human'?"

Annoyance flared up. "We're humans on Abydos just like you! I meant the soldiers of Earth."

"My mistake," the colonel said. "Go on."

Daniel gritted his teeth, then answered, "It was the _Earth_ soldiers and...about twenty Abydons."

Smithley came around to face him. "You didn't mention your parents."

"I said there were several Abydons," he retorted tightly. "If you wanted exact names, you shouldn't have stopped me when I tried to give them to you."

Maybourne looked amused. "Fair enough. Moving along...what weapons did you have when the aliens came through the Stargate?"

Not relinquishing his irritation--because it was more comfortable than the alarm that was making his palms slick--he returned belligerently, "When you say 'aliens' this time, do you mean the Abydons, because we're foreign to _you_ , or the Tau'ri, because they were foreign to _us_ , or Apophis and his Jaffa, because they were different species?"

"Mr. Jackson," the general chided in a tone he sometimes used with Jack. "I don't want to have to tell you again."

"Sorry, sir," Daniel apologized, his anger immediately deflating at the general's words. He sighed and cleared his throat. "Uh...weapons. The Tau'ri had guns. Four _n'chaapa'ai wa'talu_ and my mother and father had guns, and two others had knives or...uh...rods. Like _bashaak_ \--um. Staffs. Staves?" None of them seemed to realize he was asking which form was correct, and when they didn't answer, he continued, "Some of the rest of us had smaller knives. Not made for fighting, but it was all we had at the time."

"What was that word you used?" Maybourne said.

_N'chappa'ai wa'talu_. "Which word?" he asked, not feeling cooperative. Neither man was fazed.

"You said four of them had guns and the others had knives."

"It means 'guards of the ch...Stargate.'" He noticed his foot tapping on the floor and stopped with an effort, drawing in a deep breath and coughing nervously.

"What were these guns made from?"

Bewildered, he let his gaze drift to General Hammond again before snapping back to watch Colonel Maybourne's unreadable face. He wished Agent Smithley would stand closer so he didn't always have to look away from one of them to look at the other.

"You're reluctant to tell us?" Maybourne said mildly.

"No," Daniel protested, instinctively more afraid now that he could tell there was some motivation he didn't understand, though he still didn't know exactly why he should be afraid. "I don't...how would I know what you make guns from? You would know better than I would." He didn't even know what they were called, precisely, or how to use one--just that they were guns, and they had bullets with little sparks of fire, and he had never been allowed to use them. "Metal?" he tried, imagining how they looked and felt. "But not entirely..."

"Colonel Maybourne," General Hammond broke in. "There's some confusion here. The guns Mr. Jackson is referring to were automatic weapons from Earth, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir, of course," he answered, not knowing what else Maybourne had expected them to be. "We don't have guns of our own--they were left there after the Great Rebellion."

"The rebellion against Ra, yes," Maybourne said. "We'll come back to him in a moment. Now, let's get back to how and why you left your planet."

_("Danny!"_

_"Shim'rota, Sha'uri, Dan'yel!")_

"Um." He swallowed again, uneasily. "There were too many attackers and it was too fast for us to stop them. Their weapons were stronger, and they wore...uh..."

_Yi shay_. Why couldn't he remember the word?

"They wore... _arma_ ," he said, gesturing to mime covering his body. As soon as he said the Latin word, he remembered and quickly amended, "Armor. They wore armor." _Careless. Getting nervous; getting sloppy._ He could even feel his accent slipping, and he forced himself to focus.

"They overpowered you," Smithley said, nodding. "Then?"

"Then Sha'uri, my...uh, my friend? She was taken by a Jaffa. Her brother tried to shoot the Jaffa with his gun, but he ran out of bullets. I tried to run to find Colonel O'Neill and Captain--I mean, Major Kawalsky, but I was caught."

"Did you recognize the Jaffa?"

_Not then,_ he thought, stilling. _I didn't know Teal'c yet._ "No, I didn't," Daniel said honestly.

Something must have shown in his face, because Maybourne narrowed his eyes shrewdly and said, "Let me rephrase that. Could you tell us now who the Jaffa were?"

"No," he insisted staunchly. He wasn't above lying when he needed to. Or thought he might need to. What did they want, anyway? There was a long silence, and he added, "They wore...masks." Wrong word. "Not for disguise. Uh... _galeae_. Armor over their head."

"Helmets," Smithley supplied.

Daniel felt his cheeks burn--it had been years since he'd stumbled so much over English, but he hadn't needed words like _'helmets'_ in the privacy of his home on Abydos.

"What happened after you were caught?"

_("Na nay...Sha'uri!")_

"They...they used a _djera'kesh_ to make me fall unconscious," Daniel said, trying to remember it objectively, without the fear that usually made him avoid that set of memories. "I assume they did the same to Sha'uri and Skaara. We woke up in the dungeon on Chulak where Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter found us."

" _What_ was that device they used on you?" Smithley said.

Unable to stop a shiver of terror at the memory of overwhelming pain, Daniel shook his head slightly to push the thought aside and tried to explain, "A _djera'kesh_ is a device that the Goa'uld use. It...looks like a metal glove, but with chains holding the fingers together. In the center of the palm is a red stone that you can see through, like glass...uh, a, a...a crystal. It can cause...pain, or be used to...push someone very hard, but that's all I know about it."

"It's usually referred to in our reports as a 'Goa'uld hand device' or 'ribbon device,' Agent," the general added. Daniel nodded to confirm, wishing he'd remembered that name on his own.

"The word you just used, Daniel--that's in the Goa'uld language?" Maybourne said.

"Yes."

"How would you know a word like that when the SGC itself doesn't use it?"

"I've been learning to speak Goa'uld," he answered, suspicious, knowing they were digging for something but unsure what it was. "There are lots of words I know that most people in the SGC don't know."

Maybourne's eyes became more interested now. "How?"

"Teal'c has been teaching me." Oh. Uh-oh. They were after Teal'c, then?

"That's a strange word to learn," Maybourne commented. "Usually, when people learn foreign languages, weapon names aren't the first thing they pick up. For example, you're very well-spoken in English, yet you stumbled over words like 'armor' and 'helmet,' even though you've used the language for years. At the same time, you know the correct name for a Goa'uld weapon, when you've been speaking that language for...what, a couple of months?"

Or maybe it wasn't about Teal'c, after all.

Daniel shifted nervously, then said, stiffly, "I learned English from my parents at home and from books they had. I read a lot of dictionaries, but I don't claim to know every word used in every situation." He took particular, meticulous care in his words now that he knew how closely they were listening. "I first heard Goa'uld when I was trapped in a dungeon, and I continued to learn with Teal'c because we're fighting the Goa'uld. It's only natural that my lexicon is biased toward words pertinent to the operations of a military base. I specifically asked Teal'c what the...hand device was called, because I was curious."

"But you knew those words in...was that Latin?"

"We had a copy of _Commentarii de Bello Gallico_ ," he said. "That's, uh, Caesar's _Commentaries on the Gallic War_. It's a text commonly taught to students of Latin in this country, I believe. There were a few other books--histories, mainly, and like the _Commentarii_ , many of them centered on wars or...or other conflicts." His parents had taught practically taught him Latin directly out of Caesar's texts, after he'd learned the Roman alphabet system.

"You had a copy on Abydos? Why?"

"My parents brought it with them, along with many, many others." But now it had been mentioned, he couldn't help wondering why, as well. Suddenly, he hated the colonel for making him wonder, when he had no way to ask. "It was just a reference book," he said defensively. "I read it while learning the language, for its clarity of prose."

"It's just that it's an odd choice of reference material to bring on this sort of mission. And you know what else seems odd to me?" Maybourne asked. The man's tone was different this time. It was lighter now, but with more of an edge lurking behind it, the kind of tone that meant someone was hiding something.

Daniel thought the question was rhetorical, but when nothing followed, he said, cautiously, "No."

"The Jaffa Teal'c was personally involved in your kidnapping and the deaths of your friends and parents," Maybourne said. Daniel flinched minutely.

"Teal'c is a trusted and valued member of this command, Colonel," the general said, a warning in his tone.

"I've read the reports, sir, I know. It just sounds to me like Daniel's been getting along very well with him now. I simply can't understand why."

Daniel considered not answering, because there hadn't been a direct question to address, but he suspected his silence would be misinterpreted the worst possible way. "I've discussed it with Teal'c. How we...handled forgiveness is personal and between the two of us."

"That's too bad, Daniel," Maybourne said, "because that leaves me to wonder why two aliens happened to be in the right place at the right time to meet a team from Earth, and why those two aliens can now often be found whispering together in the language of the enemy. Keep in mind that one of these aliens supposedly kidnapped the other and killed his family."

"S-supposedly?" Daniel choked out. "What are you trying to--"

"Colonel Maybourne," General Hammond said sharply, "you're crossing a line, here."

"I'm doing my job, General, and you'll find our superiors will support me," Maybourne countered. "If I'm wrong, let Daniel contest it."

The general pursed his lips but nodded in Daniel's direction. "It wasn't--" His voice cracked. "It wasn't just a coincidence that we met Jack and S...that we met Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter."

"Not a coincidence? It was planned?"

"No, that's not what I meant! After we were taken from Abydos, they came--I mean, _went_ \--specifically looking for us. Because Chulak is ruled by Apophis, they were put into Apophis's prison, just like we were. It's not a coincidence, because both incidents were caused by the same initial event."

"And Teal'c?"

"Teal'c was Apophis's slave. Of course he was there, too. We speak together in the language of the enemy now, because we need to know what the enemy is saying in order to fight them. And we don't whisper," Daniel added defiantly, though the effect was ruined when his voice trembled, slightly but audibly, "because we're not hiding anything."

"But no one can verify what you say to each other, because no one else speaks the language well enough. I understand even Teal'c himself isn't here now," Maybourne said.

"Teal'c and SG-1 are on a mission to...off-world," he answered, deciding not to mention that they were on Chulak, trying to stop Teal'c's son's _prim'ta_ implantation. "General Hammond can tell you there's nothing suspicious about that."

"What about the other two who were kidnapped with you from Abydos? Did you know them? You called them friends of yours."

_("_ Sinu'ai _," Skaara said proudly, tying the leather strands around Daniel's smaller wrist._

_Daniel solemnly clasped arms with him, looked up into the older boy's dark eyes, and repeated, "_ Sinu'ai _. My brother.")_

"Their father leads the council of the elders, so he met my parents during the Rebellion," Daniel said. He found himself fingering Skaara's band on his wrist and made himself stop. "I grew up with them. We were-- _are_ \--very close." Anticipating the next question, he said tensely, "And Apophis chose them as hosts for his Goa'uld, so, no, I _don't_ know where they are now, and no, I have not been _secretly_ communicating with them." He glared up at the agents, daring them to challenge his word.

"All right," Maybourne said, slapping a folder on the table loudly enough to make Daniel start. "That's good for me. Let's move on." Daniel felt his eyebrows draw down in confusion. That was it? "We're wondering something else about you, Daniel. Ra ruled over your planet for how many years?"

"Nine thousand, four hundred and twenty-five," Daniel answered easily. "Approximately, judging solely by the earliest recorded writing found on Abydos, although that could be wrong by a couple thousand years. And that's in our years--I don't know what it is in Earth years."

He was gratified to see Maybourne finally looking a little surprised, but it only lasted a few seconds. "That's...very exact. My point was, he chose that planet for its naquadah, correct?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"Well, _I_ wasn't there!"

Maybourne chuckled. "I'll give you that, kid." Daniel twitched and clenched his jaw. Some nicknames, he decided, were only okay when they came from the right person's mouth. "What I meant was that your planet is rich in naquadah."

"I...didn't bring any with me, if that's what you're asking."

"Not at all. We've read the reports Dr. Rothman filed on some newly translated texts. It seems that naquadah can exist in the bloodstream."

Daniel blinked. "How did you know that?"

"We have access to all SGC files."

He looked to the general, who looked disgruntled but nodded once in confirmation. "So?"

"So, we're wondering whether the presence of naquadah in the body has to do with environmental factors--there might be some residual that builds up in the body, like any heavy metal. Living close to a naquadah mine, for example. Drinking water that flows over a riverbed that could contain naquadah traces. Breathing air that could have particles of naquadah dust."

Daniel had an absurd urge to say, _But I may be allergic to dust_. Out loud, he said, "The texts you're talking about said that naquadah is part of the Goa'uld body, not a...an environmental...thing. Captain Carter isn't sure if normal humans _can_ have naquadah in their blood. We're not even sure that's a correct translation."

"Captain Carter's degree is in physics, not physiology," Maybourne said. "And there's also the fact that you've been exposed to Goa'uld technology at least twice, and we know, thanks to your translation, that Goa'uld devices are powered by and sometimes constructed of naquadah. Whether or not it's the same thing, we think it's worth testing to see if there's some sort of effect."

"Testing?" he asked with trepidation. Then the rest of Maybourne's words sank in, and he corrected, "I was only exposed once to the _djera'kesh_."

"I'm talking about the sarcophagus, too," Maybourne said.

"Sarco... The Goa'uld sarcophagus, the healing device? I've never used one. I've only heard about my parents' using it."

"You have, actually," Maybourne said, "though I'm not surprised you don't know. You used it along with your mother during the original Abydos mission. Her medical exam showed that she was already carrying you when she went to Abydos and was later revived in the sarcophagus. In fact, that part's even in your own records."

Daniel blinked. He looked at the general but couldn't read his expression. "Tha-- _what_?"

"She was advised not to go, but, well, she was very insistent on being included, which struck some people as strange. And bringing texts by Julius Caesar of all people--and many more books, I understand, that were unrelated to the mission--it's almost like they'd planned to stay there all along, wouldn't you say? I guess it was a little irresponsible of her to get caught up in a firefight, then, knowing what her condition was."

"Maybourne, what kind of interrogation is this?" the general demanded.

"I'm just making an observation, sir," Maybourne said.

"My mother was a hero," Daniel countered shakily. Mentally, he tried counting the days between the Great Rebellion and his birth, but his mind felt slow and foggy, and he gave up. "She helped save thousands of people from a tyrant. I don't know what you're trying to say, but don't you dare call her--"

Maybourne backed away a step. "No offense intended, of course. But it does raise some interesting possibilities."

"Possibilities? How do you even have our medical records?"

"If it could affect national--or, should I say, _planetary_ \--security, then I have them."

"But what..." he started. Wrinkling his forehead, he asked, "How does that have anything to do with _anything's_ security?"

"I'd like to know that myself," General Hammond said, looking highly displeased.

Colonel Maybourne reached down to the folder he'd put down before and pulled out four sheets, each with a photograph on it. "We have been doing intermittent research on a few artifacts that have been recovered from various sites--mostly near Giza--over the last decade. Do you recognize any of these?" he asked.

Cautiously, Daniel took the photographs. The first two were completely unfamiliar to him--something like an intricate ring and a small sphere--but he recognized the third one. "We call this one a page-turning device at the SGC--or a PTD," he said. "You use it to change the image on a data-display device that looks like a tablet."

"You don't know the Goa'uld name for it?"

"Jaffa are rarely allowed to use things like this. Teal'c only knew how it worked because he'd seen the Goa'uld use them before, so the only way for me to learn the word is if I eventually come across it in some text and identify it from context."

"So where's the tablet that goes with it?" Smithley asked, looking interested.

"I...don't know. Where did you put it?"

"Perhaps it was lost or hasn't been found," Maybourne interrupted. He pulled the sheet aside. "What about this one?"

Daniel shivered involuntarily and pulled his jacket tighter. "A _djera'kesh_. Hand device."

The general had come closer to look as well. "Why hasn't the SGC been informed about these?" he demanded.

"We've been working on these at Area 51 since before the SGC was established, General," Agent Smithley said. "We were never able to make them work, but after seeing recent reports from SG teams, we've reopened our investigations on them. Of course, we will establish better communication between our research departments from now on."

"It's especially imperative now," Maybourne added. "The Goa'uld, after all, are able to use them."

Daniel thought back to the tablet books he'd worked on. "The page-turner would work for anyone if you just had the tablets for them. But we think you have to be a Goa'uld for some devices, like the _dj_ \--hand device, maybe even because of the naquadah in..."

"In the blood," Maybourne finished.

Daniel gaped at him. "You think I can use these just because I lived on a planet with naquadah? I don't even know what half of them are!"

"We have no idea how human physiology is affected by exposure to this technology," came the response. "After all, the Goa'uld make extensive use of sarcophagi, and naquadah is part of the Goa'uld symbiote's physiology. It seems like a logical connection to me."

"Wrong," he countered uneasily, even though he thought it might be if they knew more about sarcophagi. "There's a connection, obviously, but it doesn't mean there's any causality to be inferred. That's... _insane_."

"How do you think naquadah was first introduced into the Goa'uld physiology?" Maybourne asked.

"I don't know! I don't know _anything_ about Goa'uld physiology. Maybe they're born with it."

"Or maybe," the colonel suggested, "that's an effect of the sarcophagus--healing and leaving traces of naquadah behind. Who knows what it would do to a developing fetus?"

Daniel felt himself blush uncomfortably at the frank analysis but argued, "Why would you even reach a conclusion like that? And there could be some other reason why they can use the devices while we can't--it might not have anything to do with naquadah at all. They're a completely different species, yes?"

"But," said Maybourne, "if there's even a possibility you're able to use these devices, we need to find out."

"Well, how?"

"We'll bring you back to Area 51 with us and see if we can't get them to work," Maybourne informed him.

Daniel's mind froze.

"I won't approve of that without a damn good reason," General Hammond said, scowling. "And I'll need something better than _if_ s, _maybe_ s, and flimsy speculation."

"All due respect," Maybourne told him, "we don't need you to approve."

"General Hammond?" Daniel said nervously, clutching the sides of the chair as if it would stop them from taking him away.

"You don't need my approval, _Colonel_ Maybourne?" the general repeated, his voice low.

"My actions are sanctioned by the NID and those who oversee our operations, General," Maybourne answered smoothly. "Daniel Jackson isn't even under your command. You have very little say in who has authority over him."

Daniel slowly slid backward in his seat. General Hammond didn't take his gaze from Maybourne as he said, "Daniel Jackson has protected status in this facility--at the moment, _I_ have authority over what happens to him. Moreover, he is a part of the scientific effort at the SGC. I would say that he is very much one of my people."

Maybourne wasn't even fazed. "I'd like to remind you, _sir_ , that the NID has jurisdiction in all matters concerning this facility, and that includes suspicious circumstances surrounding its members. Our goals, after all, are the same as yours."

"After the interrogation I just witnessed," the general snapped, "I'm beginning to have doubts about that."

"General, there is nothing you can do to change this--we're only wasting time," Maybourne said. "To be perfectly frank, sir, Daniel Jackson is not a citizen of this country, nor even of this planet. We are planning, of course, to treat him with the courtesy we would extend to any American, but there are many other ways this can be done."

Daniel's breath caught and tickled at his throat, making him cough into his sleeve.

"Colonel..." Agent Smithley said.

The general's eyes flicked toward him before he growled, "I'm sure both of our superiors would be very interested to know about the NID's stand on human rights."

Agent Smithley stepped forward, a placating hand held out. "We have no intention of harming the boy," he said, with a glare at Maybourne. "This is simply something that must be tested--you of all people understand the need for every advantage Earth can get. If he is unable to use Goa'uld technology, as he claims, we will have him flown back here immediately. He is not a prisoner."

"F-flown?" Daniel stammered, feeling dumb. "But I can't fl... What?"

Maybourne chuckled. "This is an Air Force base, Daniel. You might as well get used to the idea of planes."

Right--planes. _Air_ planes. He imagined the udajeets zooming overhead on Chulak and the remains of one that had crashed ( _crashed, out of the sky_ ) on Abydos during the Rebellion before he was born, and he had to swallow a sudden queasiness.

_Udajeet_ , he thought firmly, determined not to feel dizzy at the idea of being so high... _Tel'tak. Airplane. Avion. Vliegtuig. Tayara._

General Hammond let out a heavy breath. "I'm sure Mr. Jackson would be more at ease going with someone he knows."

_Yes, please, please. At least wait until Jack gets home._

"As we said, General, no one will be doing anything to make him feel _un_ easy," Maybourne said. "The faster we get started, the faster Daniel can be back. Besides, your men's time would be better spent here, don't you think? I have written orders here, if you need more convincing." He held out a folder and opened it to show the papers inside.

"My people are not resources to be requisitioned," the general said angrily, but he did scan over the documents.

"I didn't say that, General," Maybourne said, shrugging, "and I'm sure that wasn't the intention at all...still, orders are orders."

The general pursed his lips, studying the papers, then walked forward and lay a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel's stomach dropped. "General?"

"Mr. Jackson," the general said firmly, the way he spoke when giving orders, "I'll find out what's going on. In the meantime, I'd like you to go with Colonel Maybourne and Agent Smithley and cooperate with what they ask you to do. Is that understood?"

He nodded, then squeezed a stiff "Yessir" past his tightening throat.

The general looked back up at the two agents and asked coolly, "When can I expect him back in Colorado?" It was only then that Daniel realized he didn't have a clue where Area 51 was, much less how long it was supposed to take to get there and back. He had the fleeting thought that he really had to learn more about Earth geography before remembering that he had other things to worry about now.

"Within a day or two if everything goes as planned," Agent Smithley informed him, "barring any unexpected discoveries. We'll provide him with whatever he needs for the duration."

"I'll hold you to that, Agent," the general warned. "And let me make it clear to you gentlemen that the loyalty of Daniel Jackson--or of Teal'c--is not under question. I hope I won't be hearing of unwarranted harassment while he's with you."

"Of course, General," Maybourne said. "Come on, Daniel. There's a car waiting."

Daniel wasn't sure exactly why he was still sitting until General Hammond said, "Let go of the chair, son." He unclenched his hands and stood mechanically.

When he'd been herded to the door, sudden panic washed over him. He turned and blurted, "General, I left some translations in Robert's office that I didn't finish, and he doesn't know where--"

"Dr. Rothman will manage without you."

"But they're in Goa'uld."

"Then I'll let him know where you are, Mr. Jackson, and you can finish them when you get back," General Hammond said.

"But. All right, but--"

"I will also let Colonel O'Neill and SG-1 know where you are when they return. We'll see you soon, Daniel, I promise." The general gave the other two men another long look and nodded once to Daniel.

A tiny bit relieved for no good reason, Daniel took a breath and decided he didn't want the general to think he was terrified of something that shouldn't be dangerous, even if he was. "Yes, sir," he answered, and followed the men out.


	11. Area 51

**_12 December 1997; SGC, Earth, 1600 hrs_ **

The elevator no longer felt strange the way it had in his first days at the SGC, but somehow, riding to the surface with people he didn't know--without Jack making jokes behind him--felt as alien as the idea of flying to a place called Area 51, and _ay naturu_ he was going to be _flying through the air_...

It was cold on the surface, and he couldn't help sucking in a surprised breath, which only made him shiver and cough when the cold air hit his lungs. If only he had gotten sicker from the flu, so that Janet would tell them he couldn't go...but as it was, he couldn't really use that excuse.

"Sorry about the cold," Smithley said. He slipped off his coat and offered it. "Here. It's almost snow season, but the car's right out around there." He didn't seem bothered by the weather in only his suit, so Daniel took the coat, though it was too big, and wrapped it around himself.

The car was black and looked as official as the two men themselves did, with enough room for all three of them to fit in the back seats. Daniel had been hoping one of them--preferably Colonel Maybourne--would be driving so he would only have one person watching him, but there was another man in the driver's seat.

When he couldn't stand their scrutiny any longer, Daniel pulled the agent's coat off. He'd learned that not everyone paid much attention to gestures, but the two NID agents felt dangerous enough that he didn't want to risk sending a wrong message by taking something they offered when he didn't need it. "I thought we were going to fly," Daniel said.

"Not from here," Smithley told him. "We're driving to Peterson Air Force Base, and we'll fly from there to Nevada. It's about a two hour flight."

"Ne-va-da?" he said, the way the agent had said it, then sounded out, under his breath, "Ne- _vah_ -da."

"You know what 'Nevada' means, Daniel?" Maybourne asked suddenly.

"That depends on what language it is," he said warily, noting the gleam of interest in the colonel's eye.

"So what language do you think it is?"

Daniel hesitated, but then he remembered the general's advice to cooperate and finally said, "It could be Spanish or something else Latin-based. 'Snowfall.' From _nevar_." Remembering that Nevada was a place, he amended, "Or 'covered in snow.'"

Maybourne's lips lifted in a smile. "Not bad. So you're familiar with snow."

"I know what it is...but I haven't seen it before," he admitted. He didn't mention that he might not have even heard of snow if his mother hadn't described it one night before sending him to bed while telling the story of Skadi, the goddess who walked over the snow.

"Fair enough. Out of curiosity... _hal tatakallam al-arabiya?_ "

Daniel gave him a suspicious look, then said, " _Na'am_."

"Arabic," Maybourne said for a frowning Smithley's benefit, looking satisfied. "I've heard a lot about you, Daniel. How did you learn Earth languages on a different planet?"

"Since you have my mother's records," he said stiffly, still very unhappy about that, "you must know she studied linguistics--"

"...for her doctorate, and one of her masters was in classical languages," the colonel said, nodding. "Of course. She worked as a linguist on various archaeological digs, perhaps following in her father's footsteps, though she never went on his expeditions. In Giza, she met _your_ father, who was specializing in Egyptology, and began collaborating with him."

Daniel folded his arms, horribly off-balance. Did he know anything about his mother's father? _Should_ he? "I don't... What's your poi--"

"Melburn Jackson, on the other hand, considered himself an archaeologist or anthropologist first, but I suppose he would know many languages as well, especially after spending part of his childhood in Egypt and a few other countries," Maybourne said. "Did I get anything wrong?"

"Is that meant to impress me?" Daniel said instead of answering, trying not to let his curiosity show at the parts that were unfamiliar to him. His mother's father had been a linguist or archaeologist, too. Was he still alive? It hurt a little to realize that Colonel Maybourne somehow knew something about his own family that Daniel's hadn't, or that he didn't know exactly which 'other countries' his father had lived in as a child.

It didn't mean anything. What would it have meant to someone like Daniel that his parents' official degrees were in different official departments on another planet? Some things wouldn't have been relevant to life on Abydos. Daniel had only had a vague impression of what Earth's geography was like; it would have been meaningless to know the names of places his parents had lived.

Still, he wished Maybourne didn't know things about him that he didn't know already.

"You could do a lot of good for our side, with the skills you have," Maybourne said. "We know the SGC's Goa'uld translations are mostly your work, even if it's Rothman's name on them."

"My work and Teal'c's," Daniel said. "If you know I do their translations, then you know I _am_ doing good for our side."

"And getting no credit for it."

"If Robert Rothman's name is on them," he maintained loyally, "it's because he either did the work himself or taught me to do it and...and made sure I did it right. I'm good at certain tasks, yes; he's an _expert_ in the field, and he's not getting any credit from his colleagues, either. Neither of us is looking for recognition, or he wouldn't be working for a top secret organization."

"You know, the NID does a lot more research than the SGC," Maybourne said.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to... What are you saying?"

"Colonel Maybourne," Agent Smithley said. "We're going to look at the artifacts. That's all."

Maybourne shrugged and didn't go on, but he also didn't drop his assessing gaze.

XXXXX

**_12 December 1997; Area 51, Earth, 1700 hrs_ **

Dan'yel of Nagada had not been a coward. He wasn't as strong as some of his brothers, true, or as fast with a knife as the 'gate guards, though perhaps that would change with the inches he was gaining and the training Teal'c gave him. He'd certainly been smaller when he'd played with Skaara and Skaara's friends, and had usually had to follow behind them.

But a coward? Never.

Daniel Jackson, then, must be a different person completely, because he had somehow never felt quite so scared as he was now, sitting strapped to a seat the way he would in a car, except that they were moving very fast and he couldn't feel the ground under him. The airplane didn't really look like an _udajeet_ \--the inside, in fact, looked like a very long, narrow room. But he peeked out the window and saw that everything in sight was _tiny_ and so far below them that it made him dizzy. He thought he wouldn't mind their stares so much if he weren't so high up _in the air..._

It was also that he hadn't left Cheyenne Mountain since coming to Earth, except for those times when he'd been with Jack or Sam or both. He hadn't realized just how big this world was. The SGC had seemed closed in, at first, but now, Daniel would have preferred that to this vast, unfamiliar openness, surrounded by so many people he didn't know.

And he felt like he hadn't completely stopped shivering since he'd walked into the briefing room at the SGC, partially because of strain from constantly tensing his muscles in nervousness and partially because it was colder outside than he'd expected. He tried to relax and roll out the crick in his back, but his head was starting to throb as well.

If he'd wanted to learn what an airplane was, he would have asked Jack or Sam, who both know how to fly airplanes, instead of sitting tied to a seat with two men staring at him.

"It's probably the altitude," Agent Smithley told him when he massaged his temple with one hand. "It should get better once you're used to the pressure."

He didn't answer but dropped his hand and turned away. Except _that_ meant he was facing out a window, where he couldn't even _see the ground_ anymore, much less feel it, so he quickly dropped his eyes to a safe point on the floor and rubbed at them instead.

Somehow, Daniel managed to fall asleep even with their gazes still fixed on him. When he woke up, it was because his stomach was flipping around, and his ears felt stuffed full of something, and his eyes were dry and burning and gritty from sleep _._ He panicked, trying to bolt to his feet, only to remember he was strapped down, and then he remembered that they were flying, except that now they were _falling_...

And then there was a bump, they were slowing down, and Maybourne's voice was too cheerful as it filled the cabin. "Welcome to Nevada, Daniel. This is Homey Airport."

Daniel wrinkled his nose and sneezed.

"Allergic to travel?" Maybourne said, sounding like he was trying to make a joke. Daniel didn't answer.

He had the brief, idiotic thought that maybe he was allergic to the NID, not dust or travel, because he'd been fine for months at the SGC, and as soon as the NID showed up he'd started feeling sick again, and now his head hurt, and his breaths were starting to tickle in his throat again, and it was freezing. Or maybe they had dust mites on them. Which made no sense at all, but he was staring at the darkness of night and an unfamiliar outside, and he wasn't overly interested in being logical.

This was not how he'd wanted to explore Earth.

Still, he had no choice but to follow behind Agent Smithley with Colonel Maybourne a few steps behind him. "It's past 1900 now, so we'll show you to guest quarters to stay the night," Smithley said. "Someone will retrieve you tomorrow morning and show you to where the research is done."

Before long, they were inside and walking through a corridor. They passed a few people on their way, but no one paid them much mind. The hallway was...whiter than the ones at the SGC. The whitewashed walls and floors almost reminded him of the SGC infirmary, but there was no Janet here to fill the hallways with her formidable presence.

It was quiet, too, but it was late--perhaps it would be fuller and noisier in the morning. Daniel often wandered the SGC late in the evenings or sometimes in the middle of the night, when few people were around, but it felt different there. The SGC at night was like a lull in the usual background of noise and movement. This, here, at Area 51, was like the tingling you could almost feel in the deadened air before a sandstorm hit.

_Naturu!_ He was being paranoid. They had had legal papers and everything; there was nothing to worry about.

"You can stay in here," Agent Smithley said, startling Daniel out of his thoughts just in time for him to avoid walking into the door. "There's a bag under the bed with scrubs to change into and other supplies for the night. The door will be locked until morning, but for your safety only. There are men posted throughout the halls--knock on the door and ask one of them if you need something. Any questions?"

Daniel peered into the room. Ironically, what he found most comforting about it was that it looked familiar. It was almost like Teal'c's old holding cell, but with a window--covered with a grating and with curtains drawn shut--and without the table. The lock looked the same, though, installed on the outside, just like on the SGC's cells.

Smithley was still waiting for an answer, so he shook his head silently. No questions. Everything was very clear.

"Thank you, Agent," Maybourne said, clearly a dismissal. Daniel hadn't been aware that 'colonel' ranked higher than 'agent,' but he'd never had to compare ranks from different services before, either, aside from the marines and the airmen. Maybe it was a case-by-case thing, like it was between civilian doctors and servicemembers.

When Smithley left, Daniel stepped into the dark room, jumping when the lights turned on. "Light switch," Maybourne explained, flipping it off and on again (as if he didn't know what a light switch was after weeks on Earth), and didn't move to leave.

"What?" Daniel finally demanded, tired and annoyed. His feet tried to shuffle nervously, so he backed into the bed and planted his legs against the side.

"I just want you to remember what I said about the research that goes on here. You'll get a tiny idea tomorrow, but you're wasting potential at the SGC."

"Why would you care? I'm not even an adult by your standards. There are many people with degrees and official qualifications, and with them you won't have to worry that they're... _whispering_ about the enemy behind your back," he added bitingly. The irony of using the 'adult' argument when he usually stood on the other side of it was not lost on him.

"Well, there are a few things you could do for us, Daniel," Maybourne said. "One, you speak Goa'uld, and I know you hate the Goa'uld more than I do."

His head pounded miserably. "Then why did you say all that about...secret meetings with Teal'c?" A thought dawned on him, and as his temper began to rise, he demanded, "All of that at the SGC--it was only an excuse, so you could make me come here? So you could say there were 'suspicious circumstances' surrounding me and my parents?"

"We did have to make sure of a few things," Maybourne answered without answering anything.

Daniel scowled.

"Our government won't stop you from doing work just because you're underage, you know," Maybourne said. "Despite what your general said about rights, if you're considered an adult on your own world, the NID _will_ respect those rights. And we don't need PhDs for everything--we need people who are open-minded and able to learn and adapt as circumstances dictate."

Warnings sped through his mind, but he wasn't quite sure which part felt wrong.

"Also"--Maybourne let his weight lean more into the doorframe--"we can help Abydos. We can _protect_ your world and its people. They could stay safe without having to cut off Stargate travel."

Daniel tried to look indifferent but knew that curiosity and apprehension were winning out.

"And not just that. You watch people going in and out of the Stargate all the time, using information that _you_ help to find or analyze. Don't tell me you've never wanted to explore other places, other civilizations--you must be getting restless, and _we_ recognize your potential here, even if the SGC doesn't."

"I barely even know who you are," Daniel pointed out, "except that you had a requisition form to have me brought here."

"It wasn't a _requisition_ ," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "It was a temporary transfer order, for personnel. General Hammond was exaggerating."

"And what would General Hammond say about your opinion of the SGC?" he said.

"Daniel," Maybourne said, "let's be honest. You know a few people at the SGC, but you don't know _them_ as an entire organization much better than you know us."

"I trust the people I know there," Daniel retorted. "That's more than I can say for the NID, since you won't tell me much of anything."

"That frustrates you, doesn't it?" Maybourne said. "Not knowing things, or having facts hidden from you. You'd rather be in thick of it the way the SGC won't let you. For example, I see what a valuable ally Abydos would be. The SGC...well, they're the ones who _closed_ that connection, not us. We want to _open_ it."

"Why would you do that?" Daniel asked letting his eyes slide away, because he couldn't hide the eagerness he knew must be in them. "Why do you care about Abydos at all?"

"Because Abydos can help _us_ , too. Your people don't use their naquadah; they don't even mine it anymore. All we'd ask is to be allowed to mine it ourselves. We can use it, Daniel--we can use it to beat the Goa'uld, and we've got knowledge and technology that could benefit your people in exchange. Think about it. Am I right?"

In spite of everything, Daniel had to admit he'd been thinking things like that ever since arriving on Earth. The computers here did amazing things, the doctors healed wounds and illnesses that would have been fatal at home, and whether or not Daniel liked flying, the point was that the Tau'ri had machines that _could_ _fly_. "Maybe," he allowed, cautious. "But--"

Maybourne smiled. "Besides, this is exactly the sort of thing the SGC tries to establish--diplomatic ties with mutual benefits--and what have they done about it? And you...you have a connection to Earth _and_ to a leader of Abydos--who better to facilitate an arrangement? It'd let you go back and forth--the best of both worlds, literally. The NID can help you there."

Daniel stared at him uncertainly, knowing there was something wrong but unable to deny the solid logic. "I..." he started.

"No pressure to say anything now, of course," Maybourne said, backing out the door. "Just think about it. I'll see you in the morning, Daniel."

XXXXX

**_13 December 1997; Area 51, Earth, 0830 hrs_ **

Daniel woke slowly the next morning, clutching the blanket to himself and blinking fuzzily in the light filtering weakly into the room through the window. Immediately, he sat up in alarm.

The sudden movement provoked a short bout of coughing that left his chest aching. Then he remembered that he was in a room at Area 51, not in his own familiar room twenty-eight floors below ground at the SGC.

And he wished now that he'd had time to see Janet before leaving, because if he'd been getting better from his flu before, it didn't seem to be true anymore--a fever felt the same on any planet. As if in confirmation, he coughed again, rubbing his burning eyes.

He'd listen to the agents, finish their stupid tests as fast as possible, then go back. If he was going to be sick, he'd rather it be somewhere he didn't feel like a criminal or a test subject.

He stayed sitting in the bed for another few minutes, shivering hard enough to start making him tired and wishing he didn't have to relinquish his cocoon of blankets. Finally, he gathered enough courage to crawl out into the cold air to swap the hospital scrub bottoms he'd worn to bed last night for his heavier trousers. He left the scrub top on and pulled his T-shirt over it before wrapping himself in his jacket and slipping icy feet into his boots.

With a bleary glance at the wall clock, he decided it might be some time before anyone came for him, so he cautiously considered the untouched dinner tray someone had brought for him the night before. The sight of the innocent-looking sandwich still made his stomach turn, but his throat felt scratchy enough that he reached for the plastic bottle of water they'd left along with the meal. Eventually someone came with another tray; he didn't move to touch it, and no one bothered him.

It was just past 1030 when there was a knock on his door. Seated again on the bed, huddled against the walls in the corner, Daniel didn't bother getting up, since it wasn't as if he could open the door from his side, anyway. Sure enough, there was a soft click, and the door was pushed open.

It wasn't Colonel Maybourne at the door, or even Agent Smithley. The woman there had reddish hair like Janet, but her voice was much sterner than Janet's and she was frowning as she said, "Daniel Jackson?"

Reluctantly, Daniel stood but stayed near the bed, unsure if he was supposed to leave the room or wait for instructions. On base, though, when one was in a room locked from the outside and was suddenly called by a person who had just unlocked the door, one usually stood at attention, so Daniel tried that, though he felt silly.

"I'm Christina Vedenshop," the woman said. "I'll show you where to go."

Since she was still holding the door open, he pulled his jacket more tightly around himself and stepped out of the room to follow her.

"You don't have to sit in the dark, you know," she said, more kindly, when she let the door swing shut behind him. Up close, Daniel could see that she was older than Janet, maybe closer to Jack's age, but at least seemed nicer than he'd expected, considering the impression of this place that he'd gotten from the two agents yesterday. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he said, then cleared his throat, surprised at how strange his voice sounded.

Vedenshop looked more closely at him. "Are you sure?" She placed a hand on his forehead before he could shy away, then commented worriedly, "If you're sick and would rather rest today, I can ask Colonel Maybourne to postpone the--"

"No," he interrupted quickly. "I'm okay. I had the flu, but I'm better. I just want to finish and go ho--" He paused, then decided the word was appropriate enough, at least relative to here. Hadn't he just said that they had to adjust their views and their language because everything was relative? "Home."

She gave him a sympathetic glance. "I'll bet. But make sure you tell someone if you feel worse."

Daniel watched her as they moved down the hallway, trying to see if she was wearing some kind of identification. When he couldn't find anything, he asked, "Are you an NID agent?"

"Oh, not me; I'm a nurse." When she saw him still staring, she added, "The NID is involved with some research projects that are carried out here, but so are other organizations. I just work in the infirmary and run the tests that I'm asked to run, usually as part of a larger project."

Unsure exactly what a nurse had to do with activating ancient artifacts, he could only say, "Oh," then coughed, wincing as his throat protested.

She gave him another concerned glance, then explained, "I'm going to draw some blood, so we'll do that first. It won't take long. After that, I'll leave you with another group of scientists to do the next part of this. All right?"

_No_ , he thought, _not all right_. "Wha--what do you need my blood for?"

"There are a few tests that need to be run," she said.

"What tests?"

"We're just looking for some substances in your blood. Nothing to worry about."

"Wait, wait," Daniel said nervously, "I know what you're testing for, but if I had enough naquadah in my blood to use those devices, don't you think the Abydons would have taken advantage of it before Ra fell?" He should have thought of that yesterday-- _that_ was why it was so unlikely he could do anything with the Goa'uld objects: others would have done it already.

Vedenshop turned into a room and regarded him oddly. "I don't know what you're talking about, hon, but I'm assuming it's something I'm not supposed to know about, so..."

"Oh. Uh," he stammered. "You mean...you...really don't know what this is for?"

"Everyone works on a part of a larger project," she told him again, beckoning him inside and opening a drawer. "It's like a puzzle. Everything's very need-to-know, and I'm not one of the people who always need to know exactly what the bigger picture is. I know you were brought here from Cheyenne Mountain, but that's it."

Suddenly, Daniel realized how lucky he was that he, at least, was given context when someone at the SGC wanted a translation, even when they thought of him as just a kid to be kept busy. "But if you do something and don't know what it's going to be used for...don't you _want_ to know? What if it's for something...bad?"

The nurse didn't lift her gaze from her preparations. "I trust my superiors to be doing the right thing."

Daniel took a step backward. "Why wouldn't you want to know? Is it because you suspect--"

"It's not my job to know," she said simply. "And it's not yours, either. Now. Please sit down and take off your jacket."

The feeling of cold air across his bared arms raised gooseflesh, and Daniel hunched down to make himself smaller in the chair while he waited for her to finish preparing her equipment. His head was starting to throb again, and he only looked up to see what she was doing when she pulled an arm away from his midsection. His skin felt tight and achy, and even the tiny prick of the needle felt sharper than usual; he had to force himself not to flinch as she slid it into his arm.

"Done." Daniel looked up at last to see Vedenshop pull the needle out and tape a piece of gauze over the area. He reclaimed his jacket again immediately, using the sleeve to cover a cough, then looked to the nurse to find out where to go next.

She reached out to touch cool fingers to his forehead again and frowned. She hesitated, looking torn, then shook her head. "The rest of the testing will be done this way," she told him, leading the way out of the examination room.

XXXXX

**_13 December 1997; Area 51, Earth, 1100 hrs_ **

Daniel had been expecting a lab like the ones on the twenty-first level at the SGC, where Sam worked, but this room looked nothing like that. Actually...when he looked more closely, he thought it could have looked like that at one point, but all the benches had been removed, leaving only a counter that ran the length of the wall. Four objects had been placed on its surface, and Daniel didn't have to guess to know what they were.

He jumped when the door clicked shut behind him and wished for a moment that Ms. Vedenshop hadn't left, because whatever he thought of her, it would have been better than standing in here with just Colonel Maybourne and two other unfamiliar men in lab coats.

"Good morning," the colonel said. "How was your night, Danny?"

"It's Daniel," he said sharply. Not even Jack, who called him names like 'kid,' _ever_ called him 'Danny.'

"Well, you know why you're here," the colonel told him. "You seem to be familiar with the hand device"--Daniel shuddered a little--"so why don't we start with that?"

The men beside him didn't say anything, so Daniel moved uneasily toward the counter.

He steeled himself, then touched the _djera'kesh_ , snatching his finger back immediately. Feeling foolish when nothing happened, he berated himself for his jumpiness, then grimaced in distaste and picked it up. "What should I... Do you want me to put it on?"

"You were the one who saw it being used," Maybourne pointed out. "Maybe the _only_ one who saw it used so many times and so close up."

Daniel chewed his lower lip, then reluctantly slipped his fingers into the holders, flinching when the device snapped into place with the red stone in his palm. "Now what?" he asked.

"What things have you seen done with it?"

He'd seen it throw his brother across a room with no effort at all. He'd seen Apophis use it, a few centimeters from his face, but... While he was certain there was no way he could use this thing, he was also not going to try to inflict that on anyone.

No buttons. No switches. It had to be thought-controlled, he decided.

Pointing the crystal carefully away from anyone in the room, he extended his hand, feeling very silly. Maybe if he thought about it hard enough...

After a while, he lowered his hand, relieved. "I can't do anything with it," he told them.

"There are a few things we'd like to measure," one of the scientists said, holding out a small box-like object with a meter on it. He held it closer to the device and said, "Try it again now."

There were other measurements that they made after that--measurements of what, he had no idea--and eventually, one of the men held out his clipboard to the other.

"Are you sure?" the first scientist asked, frowning and ignoring both Daniel and Maybourne.

"Yes. There _is_ a slight...but it's barely there."

"I told you," Daniel said irritably. "I can't do it. I'm sure they'll tell you there's no naquadah in my blood. It probably doesn't have to do with the naquadah at all. This is a waste of time."

Maybourne didn't look surprised or even the slightest bit disappointed. "All right, then. Put that back and try the next one."

Rubbing his eyes, Daniel ground out, "It's not going to be any different for the other ones."

"Just cooperate with us, Daniel. It won't take long."

Daniel gladly stripped the _djera'kesh_ off, then reached more reluctantly for the ring. "I don't even know what these are supposed to do," he pointed out. "Do I just... _will_ it to do something?" When Maybourne only shrugged at him, eyebrows raised expectantly, Daniel sighed in resignation and slipped the ring on, hoping he wouldn't accidentally will it to cut his fingers off.

"The activation seems to be related to proximity," the first scientist explained, "or possibly just correct orientation of the device. Just putting it on is enough to tell us some things." Daniel didn't really care and held still while they measured whatever they were measuring.

Once he'd gone through the _djera'kesh_ , the ring, and the sphere, they made him go through them all again, as if there might be something he'd missed the first time around. He didn't bother with the page-turning device, and no one asked him to. By the time they finished, his head wasn't pounding anymore so much as just horribly foggy, and his legs were beginning to ache just from standing for that short time.

"Are we done?" he asked, hearing his words come out as a plea and not particularly caring. "Can I go home now?"

"Almost, Daniel," Maybourne assured him. He turned to the two scientists and ordered, "Take those back to the storage area and check with the lab when they have their results."

Daniel leaned back against the door, watching as the Goa'uld devices were placed into a box.

"Wait," Maybourne interrupted them. "Leave that one." He pointed at the page-turning device.

"I told you," Daniel repeated tiredly, "that won't do anything without the tablet."

"I know," the colonel said but didn't elaborate. Daniel shuffled away from the door to let the two men pass and heard it fall shut again when they were gone, leaving him alone with Maybourne.

"It _was_ just an excuse, wasn't it," he accused. "You didn't really think it would work."

"We had no way of knowing," Maybourne countered. "We had to cover all our bases."

"Then--" He broke off.

"Then what?"

_'Then why not test Teal'c, who actually has a Goa'uld in him and has a better chance of using these?'_ he'd almost said, but even if this whole thing had been some kind of ruse, Daniel wouldn't be responsible for bringing more unwanted attention on his friend. "Nothing," he said. Besides, on second thought, if Jaffa could use Goa'uld technology, it stood to reason that _someone_ over the millennia would have noticed and used it against their masters.

Still. Daniel wasn't feeling generous enough to concede that Maybourne was logical.

Maybourne was too sharp not to have noticed his hesitation, but he didn't seem to care. "There's a barely detectable EM field around these devices; it's what made us interested in them to begin with. We picked up a very slight increase in the field strength when you're trying to use them."

"I have no idea what that means," Daniel told him, too tired for bravado.

"It means the devices react to you more than they do to us, but barely, so it's unlikely you'd be able to use them like the Goa'uld would."

"I _told_ you so," Daniel answered sullenly, feeling childish and not fighting it for once. And for all Maybourne said about cooperation, he still spoke in terms of _you_ and _us_. Sam and Jack and Robert never acted like there was anything different about him compared to everyone else. And the general had called Daniel one of his people.

"So you did. Wait here," the colonel instructed and walked out of the room.

Once Daniel was alone, he thought for a brief moment of lunacy about pulling the door open and getting out. It wouldn't do any good, though--there were sure to be cameras and guards everywhere, and it wasn't like he knew how to get out of the building, much less had any way to find his way back to the SGC.

He was overreacting again. They hadn't done anything more than what they'd said they would. If he cooperated, he would go home sooner.

So he sighed instead and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, curling his legs toward himself to ward off the chill and laying his head on his knees.

He woke up to the sound of the door opening again and was mildly surprised to find that he had managed to doze off in the short time Colonel Maybourne had been gone. He rose sluggishly to his feet and coughed once into his jacket once he was upright. He blinked dazedly, and then his eyes widened when he saw what was in Maybourne's hand.

"I thought you said you didn't have the tablet that goes with the page-turning device," he said.

Maybourne raised his eyebrows, amused. "You should pay more attention to my words, little linguist. No one actually said that." He put the tablet down and picked up the page-turning device, passing it over once, twice. Daniel was still standing too far away to read anything, but he saw the display on the tablet shift. Maybourne turned to him with a grin. "Well, it works."

"You didn't tell General Hammond about that tablet," Daniel said, not moving closer.

"We weren't sure what it was before, much less that it was a Goa'uld device," Maybourne said casually. "It was at Giza, with the rest of the devices we found, but we'll let him know we have it, now that we know what it is. In fact, we'll even give them a copy of the translation."

Daniel raised his eyes warily. "Translation?"

Maybourne dragged a stool close to the counter and gestured.

"You want me to translate it for you right now," Daniel said. When Maybourne shrugged and held up a pen, he reminded, "I don't work for you." There had to be better reasons, too, but he was too busy trying to figure out what was going on to think of them.

"You don't work for the SGC, either," Maybourne pointed out. Daniel felt his jaw tighten defensively. "But you feel loyalty to them, I understand that."

"I never said I..." But it was true, more than a little, so he folded his arms and said, "Maybe I do."

"This isn't about NID or SGC," Maybourne told him. "It's about Earth and humans anywhere. What if there's something important in here, to all of us? Don't you want to know? Aren't you at least curious?"

Well, of course he was _curious_ , but...Daniel inched closer. "Why can't I just take it back with me to the SGC? Don't you get all our reports?"

"There are regulations about shipping artifacts around," the colonel explained. "Red tape--we could do it, but only if we wasted a lot of time uselessly." He waggled the pen at Daniel again.

Daniel moved forward cautiously and sat. "This sometimes takes a long time," he warned. "It took two of us days to finish with the other ones. I might not even understand the language."

"Why don't you take a look, anyway," Maybourne said.

Daniel turned away, wishing his brain were clearer so he could think. Stalling for time, he reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out the case that held his glasses. If the NID had found the tablet in Egypt, after the first Stargate mission, chances were that they said something about Ra, and if that was the case, there wouldn't be anything urgent written on them, so it wouldn't really matter what he did. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

In any case, he hadn't been lying--the language variant could be different enough that he couldn't understand it, but he suspected it would be close enough to Abydonian, perhaps mixed with Goa'uld, that that wouldn't be the case.

When he slid the glasses on, however, Maybourne cocked his head suddenly and peered closely at him, making Daniel start. He choked on a breath and had to turn away to cough.

Maybourne's eyes were narrowed at him. "You're sick," he observed, almost exasperatedly.

"Yes, well...sorry," Daniel muttered insincerely.

"We can have you stay in the infirmary for a day or so until--"

"I'm fine," he interrupted quickly, not wanting to stay any longer than he had to, and turned determinedly toward the tablet.

The display wasn't on the first page, but the writing was surprisingly easy to decipher--occasional words were in a human Egyptian language but most in Goa'uld, and still others a mix of the two. Even with his mind half-asleep, he felt a thrill of pride at being able to pick out each almost effortlessly but tried not to let it show on his face. He skimmed through it, certain phrases jumping out to him.

_'Natay_ , _'_ doubtless referring to Ra. _'...ne way nakhe...ris'vi chaapa'ai_... _bakiw ne maaw...'_

...cannot win...closing the Stargate...slaves disloyal...

It was an account of the Rebellion--not the one on Abydos but the first one, on Earth. Nothing they didn't know about already, then; nothing urgent.

But if he could just have the chance to read through it...they could learn so much about Ra, and the Ancient Egyptians, and the origins of Abydos...

"Can you read it?" Maybourne asked.

Daniel kept looking over the text, but he was aware of Maybourne's gaze on him, watching carefully. He bent lower, as if to concentrate, pressing his fingers into his forehead as he tried to think. General Hammond had said to cooperate, and the NID--they were on the same side, weren't they?

But something was wrong about this. Why hadn't Maybourne told the SGC about this tablet, unimportant though it might be? Even Agent Smithley hadn't seemed to know about it. Why make the two scientists leave before bringing this out? What if Daniel translated now it and then found out he shouldn't have? But what if he lied (to an official government organization, moreover) and said he couldn't do it and then got in trouble for it?

"Daniel?" Maybourne said.

"I..."

The door opened. Daniel looked up hopefully and saw Agent David Smithley in the doorway. Colonel Maybourne straightened, looking irritated. "What is it, Agent?"

Smithley stepped into the room, and he frowned as his eyes found the tablet on the counter but didn't comment. "They've got the results on the blood work. You'll want to see it, Colonel; but if everything's been tested and doesn't work, we should send the boy back to Cheyenne."

Daniel slid immediately from his stool, catching the wall with a hand when he tripped against the leg of the stool and wobbled.

Maybourne didn't look happy, but Smithley had come closer and was looking between the tablet and Daniel. "This is the...data-display tablet you mentioned?" He didn't wait for an answer before telling Maybourne, his tone warning, "If you knew where this was and neglected to mention it--"

"No one knew what it was, Agent," Maybourne told him. "It's a good thing we brought Daniel here, though, so he could show us how it worked."

Smithley narrowed his eyes suspiciously but nodded. "I assume no one at this facility understood the language."

"Until now," the colonel said.

Daniel took a step away and was ambushed by a sudden bout of coughing that left him swaying dizzily. Smithley was firmly, but not cruelly, gripping his arm to steady him when he finished. "Can I...go home?" he asked again, to Smithley this time, his skin aching. "Please?"

"It wouldn't be a good idea to do this now, Colonel," Agent Smithley agreed looking closely at him. When Maybourne opened his mouth to argue, he pointed out, "General Hammond wasn't keen on this to begin with, and he'll be less so when he finds out about that"--he pointed to the tablet--"whether it was purposely kept from him or not. If he finds out we kept the boy here while he was sick..."

"We don't answer to Hammond," Maybourne said.

"No, but we do have rules here, Colonel, which I'm beginning to think you've forgotten. We found what we wanted to find."

Maybourne's eyes narrowed a fraction, but he nodded agreeably. "You're right, of course. Perhaps we should take him to the infirmary and let him rest a day or two before--"

"No!" Daniel exclaimed desperately, making them both turn to him. "It's only...a few hours to home. _Please_." He tried to swallow a cough and ended up choking on it instead.

Smithley was frowning again. "We'll have the doctor look at you," he said finally. "If he says it's all right, we'll have someone fly you back to Peterson, and I'm sure the SGC can send someone to meet you there." He raised his eyebrows at Maybourne. "Colonel?"

"That sounds fine," Maybourne said neutrally. "If you don't mind, I'll just put these away while you bring Daniel to the infirmary. Daniel, remember what I was telling you about. I'll be working closely with the SGC from now on; I look forward to seeing you again."

Daniel couldn't agree less.


	12. Home

**_13 December; SGC, Earth, 1730 hrs_ **

Jack looked in the rearview mirror.

"He fell asleep, Colonel," Fraiser said quietly. Daniel had been curled up in the backseat of Jack's car with his head pillowed on the doctor's leg ever since he'd gotten off the plane at Peterson. His shivering had lessened with an extra blanket wrapped around him, but his face was flushed with fever now and slick with sweat.

Jack nodded and turned back to the road. A coughing sound came from the backseat and he tightened his grip in the steering wheel. "NID bastards," he muttered.

"They didn't make him sick, sir," Fraiser said. "It's was just...bad timing for a relapse."

"I don't care," he hissed back, then sighed. "How's he doing?"

There was a pause and a clicking sound, then the doctor said, "His temperature's hovering around 102. They gave him some acetaminophen before he got on the plane. It'll hold him until we get back to base."

"Is this normal? I only left two days ago." _Dammit, why, why,_ why _did they have to pick that day?_ "It's really just the flu again?" He glanced in the mirror again.

She had a hand held lightly against Daniel's chest, feeling or maybe listening for something. "The doctor over there thought it was, but I suspect it might be a different secondary infection--there's enough microbes floating around base. The symptoms can set in very suddenly, and if it's some class of pathogen he's never been exposed to before, that could exacerbate it. I'm thinking," she added softly, "that we should have given him a flu shot to begin with."

Daniel coughed again, and Fraiser combed her fingers gently through his hair. " _Pari_ , Sha'uri," he mumbled, not quite awake yet, and shifted his head away.

"Hey," Jack called back softly, looking into the rearview mirror again. "It's me and Dr. Fraiser, kid. How're you feeling?"

"Hm...Jack?" Daniel blinked twice, slowly. "I'm tired."

"I know, sweetie," Fraiser told him, making him turn sluggishly to look at her. He started to sit up. "No, it's okay, stay here 'til we get back. You might feel tired for a while, but you'll be better soon, okay?"

"We're going home?"

Jack turned briefly to look behind his seat, but Daniel's eyes were closed. "We're taking you back to Cheyenne Mountain," he said.

"S'what I meant," Daniel said sleepily.

A little surprised, but pleased, he said quietly, "Glad to hear it."

After a few minutes, Daniel mumbled, "Omoroca."

"What was that?"

"S'not Goa'uld. Definitely not. I should tell Robert."

Jack pulled into his parking space and said worriedly, "Uh, Doc? How's that fever looking?"

When he turned around, though, Fraiser told him, sounding more amused than concerned, "I think he's just half-asleep, sir. Probably a little drowsy from medication, too."

Only slightly relieved, Jack stepped out of his seat and opened the back door. "C'mon, Daniel, we're here," he said, and Daniel's eyes blinked back open. "Time to get up. You can tell Dr. Rothman all about the oma-rock."

"Omoroca," Daniel corrected, then coughed harshly, turning his face away and curling tighter, even as he sat up and leaned against the back of the car seat, closing his eyes for a moment.

Fraiser rubbed his back and said, "Just a short walk inside now. Almost there--hold onto that blanket."

"It's cold," Daniel agreed fuzzily, sliding out of the car shakily but without assistance and wrinkling his nose in the cold, almost-winter air. He let Jack's arm stay firmly around his back, though Jack couldn't have said if he actually needed the support or was just pressing close for warmth or comfort.

Carter was in the infirmary already, looking concerned, though she relaxed a little when she saw them standing there. "Teal'c and I briefed the general on the Chulak situation, sir," she reported.

"All right," Fraiser said, striding forward and taking charge, "Daniel, sit here, please. Colonel, Captain, I'm going to ask you to step outside."

"Jack?" Daniel called weakly, sitting in a slump on one of the gurneys, his eyes glassy. "Sam?"

Jack grimaced, then told him, "Doc's gonna take care of you. I'll come back when she's done."

"Where's Teal'c? And his son?"

He exchanged a glance with Carter. "There's...a kind of long story to go with that. But he's here and he's fine, and so is his family. I'm sure he'll be by later, too; you can get the explanation then."

"Wait, Jack," he said, straightening and starting to get down, "I need to ask General Hammond, I don't know if--" He broke off coughing, and Fraiser firmly pushed him back.

"Come back later," she ordered them, pulling the curtains around the area to block Daniel from view. When they hesitated, she scowled at them. " _Now_."

A little reluctantly, they left the infirmary, and Carter told him, "General Hammond needs us in the briefing room, sir. He told me to bring you when you got back."

Jack plunged his hands deep into his pockets. "General shouldn't've let them take him to goddamn Area 51 to begin with."

Carter gave him a sideways glance. "I watched the recording of the questioning, and he did try to stop them. Unfortunately, the NID has a lot of say in matters around here, and with orders..."

"He's a human being, and a _kid_ , for god's sake!"

"Maybe they thought it would be acceptable, since it was only for a day or two." She grimaced. "I'm sure the general would have done something if they'd tried to drag it out. But you know how interested they are in Goa'uld technology and weapons, sir. Although..."

"What?"

"The reasons they gave for bringing him to Area 51 were pretty weak," she said. "Then again, I don't have a real objective perspective, since I'm used to seeing all our research up close and first hand. The conclusions they drew from that...I just don't know."

"I can't believe...naquadah?" Jack said. "What, are they nuts?"

"That part was actually possible, sir," she surprised him by saying. "I was talking to Daniel about this before, actually--metals can accumulate in the body if there's enough in the environment, the way the medical community has seen cases of...say, mercury accumulation, or lead. Or less harmful metals like iron."

"Okay," Jack conceded. "So...but still, where did they get the idea that that's what makes Goa'uld technology tick?"

Carter shook her head. "The idea that naquadah's the only difference in Goa'uld physiology that allows Goa'uld devices to be used... Frankly, there could be hundreds of different substances that a human has to have in his or her body in order to use them. It almost makes me wonder if there's something they've found in their research to point them in that direction."

"Bastards," he said again, emphatically. "For crying out loud, I'm surprised they didn't just take Teal'c with them while they were at it. 'Doing testing,' my a--"

"Colonel O'Neill," General Hammond said as they reached the top of the staircase to the briefing room. Teal'c stood, though his wife and twelve-year-old son remained seated at the table. "How's the boy?"

"Dr. Fraiser's examining him," Jack said. "She kicked us out. He asked about you, Teal'c," he added. "Wanted to know if you and Rya'c were okay." Teal'c's expression softened very slightly, and he inclined his head in acknowledgement. Drey'auc's eyes turned wary, but she seemed to relax when she saw Teal'c's lack of concern about this unknown person asking after their son.

Hammond nodded decisively. "Thank you, Colonel. I'll make sure to stop in to see him. Now, we have to decide some things about Drey'auc and Rya'c, here," he said, gesturing to Teal'c's family. "Captain Carter suggested that we might be able to send them to P3X-797, where they won't be persecuted by the Goa'uld."

Jack thought for a moment. "P3X-797 would be...?"

"The Land of Light, sir," Carter informed him, "where we eliminated the Touched virus."

"Your opinion, Colonel?" Hammond prompted.

Drey'auc was looking down at the briefing table while Rya'c watched his father. Jack shrugged. "The virus is totally eliminated from their planet, not that it affects Jaffa anyway, and there are good people there. Lots of wide open spaces to run around," he added, looking in Rya'c's direction and smiling briefly at him. Rya'c ducked his head a little but smiled back. "But we shouldn't just drop in all of a sudden without giving them any warning."

The general nodded, then asked, "Teal'c? The final decision is for you and your family to make."

"Is this our only option?" Drey'auc spoke up.

"I'd say it's probably your best one," Jack told her. "Now you've left Chulak, going back is really out of the question. Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with you staying here on Earth, but we've already had two people from off-world facing suspicion, one of them just barely older than Rya'c. And, no offence, but as Jaffa..."

"You'd end up almost like prisoners here," Carter said apologetically.

"I believe the Land of Light to be the best option," Teal'c added. "Master Bra'tac agrees that it would be unsafe for you to return to Chulak."

Drey'auc caressed her son's head. "Then it seems we must accept."

Hammond told them, "We'll need to send someone to the planet first to make sure they're willing, too. Since you've all just returned from Chulak, I'll send SG-3 back to P3X-797 tomorrow to speak with their leader. Until we have word from them, you and your son can stay on base, ma'am. It may be a couple of days before we can resolve this. When you arrive there, we'll give you the means to contact Stargate Command by radio in case you need anything."

"You have our thanks, General Hammond," Teal'c said, bowing.

Nodding, Hammond told him, "Please help your family get settled. All the guest quarters but yours and Mr. Jackson's are open. Ma'am, is there anything you or your son need at the moment?"

Drey'auc glanced at Teal'c first, then said, "No. Thank you." She stood, holding Rya'c's hand in her own, and let Teal'c lead them from the room.

"Sir," Carter said when the Jaffa had left, "Daniel wanted to ask you something."

"Did he say what?" Hammond asked, frowning.

"No, sir, not before we left."

Hammond stood. "Well, why don't we go see if he'll talk to us now," he said, setting off with Jack and Carter in tow.

Fraiser stopped them, however, before they'd taken more than a few steps into the infirmary. "I have to insist that you put this off," she told them.

"Why?" Jack asked, glancing toward the closed curtains. "What happened?"

"I ordered a chest X-ray shortly after you left, and Daniel became sick in the middle of it. I've started him on IV fluids to keep him from getting dehydrated, and some medication for the nausea, but he still has a steady fever and is very tired. He's not going to feel up to much right now."

"But it's just the flu, right? I mean, he's already had it."

"I don't think so, actually, from the sound of his lungs," Fraiser said, "but I need to run a few tests to be sure. I'm concerned about how fast it came on, but it's not uncommon in some types of pneumonia. I've started a broad-spectrum antibiotic for now, but he needs to rest."

"I understand, Doctor," Hammond said, looking toward the bed as well. Finally, he nodded. "Keep us informed."

"Hey, Doc," Jack said after the general left. "Can I see him?"

She hesitated, then admitted, "He did ask for you a couple of times, sir. Go ahead, but don't get him excited."

"I'll be quiet," he promised.

Carter lingered for a moment as well, then told him quietly, "I should probably leave, sir."

"Why don't you check on Teal'c's family," he suggested. She nodded.

He grabbed a chair and quietly set it down next to Daniel's bed. As Jack had expected, he was curled up, asleep, on his right side, an IV line disappearing under the layered blankets. His eyes were closed, but his breaths were short and faster than normal. On an impulse, Jack reached out and gently exposed one wrist enough to feel the quick pulse.

Daniel stirred and blinked his eyes half-open.

"Sorry," Jack whispered, guiltily replacing the arm under the blankets.

He coughed wetly, then said, "Jack."

"It's me, Daniel. You're home." Jack brushed a lock of hair off Daniel's forehead, frowning at the heat he felt there.

Fraiser appeared beside them. "All right. I'm going to give you some medicine to make you better. Can you to swallow this for me?" She held out a pill and a plastic cup of water.

"Daniel?" Jack prompted when there was no reply.

" _Sa'djiriu_ ," Daniel mumbled.

Fraiser glanced at Jack, who shook his head to say he didn't understand. "Sit up a minute, sweetie," she said, making Daniel lift his gaze toward her and push himself upright. Jack stood, then moved to catch him when he swayed dizzily. He leaned into Jack's arm but obediently reached out to accept the pill and take a tiny sip of water.

"Hold him for a minute, Colonel, while I take his vitals," she said quietly.

Daniel looked down, lifting his hand and turning it to see where the IV line went in. "Don't mess with that," Jack told him, easing himself down to sit next to Daniel on the bed and pushing the boy's hand back down. "Just leave it there, kiddo."

"Is it...to draw blood?" Daniel asked.

"No, it's not to draw blood. It's to help give you water and medicine."

"Colonel," Fraiser said, making him look up. She pulled Daniel's other arm out of the blanket, revealing a piece of gauze held on with medical tape. "They must have drawn his blood at some point; I don't know what for, but I can request the results for medical reasons."

"Testing," Daniel said. "For naqua--" He bent over suddenly and coughed, reaching to clutch at Jack's shirt with one hand.

"Well," Fraiser said in a deliberately light tone, "don't worry about that. I'm done--you can settle back now."

Once he was horizontal again, Jack said softly, "Let go of my shirt, Daniel. I'll stay here with you, but you gotta rest now, you hear?"

" _Me'et?_ " Daniel slurred, half-asleep already. Jack tugged his hand away and tucked it under the blanket.

"That's right, kid," he answered. "Go to sleep."

Soon, Daniel was asleep again, and Jack rose quietly and stepped away from the bed to where Fraiser stood. "What did he say?" she whispered.

"No clue," Jack said. "He switches language sometimes when he's tired or something."

"Sir, you don't have to stay here--you just got back from a two-day mission. Someone will be here for the night shift, and Daniel will just be sleeping."

"My team's on stand-down," he told her. "I'm not needed anywhere else."

"Well...since there aren't any other patients staying here tonight... If you're staying, don't wake him," she warned.

"He'll be okay for the night?"

"His fever's up another degree or so, but we'll keep monitoring it and treating with Tylenol," she said. "I'll do some blood work to confirm, but I think it's a bacterial infection--the antibiotics should help."

"Thanks, Doc," he said.

"Keep in mind, sir, that there is some risk of contagion with pneumonia."

"I've dealt with sick kids before. Believe me, I know."

It had been a long time, though. Sitting with colleagues or friends was more common these days, but there was something both familiar and frightening about remembering this particular routine. He pulled the chair closer to the wall and sat, crossing his arms and settling in.

...x...

**_13 December 1997; SGC, Earth; 2100 hrs_ **

A few hours later, Jack opened his eyes in darkness in time to see a nurse give Daniel something to swallow. Satisfied that nothing earth-shattering was happening, he leaned back against the wall again.

Not long afterward, he sat up at the sound of a moan. He stood, bending closer to see Daniel's face in the dark but found him still asleep. Daniel shifted restlessly, then mumbled something into his pillow. Jack leaned closer to hear better, but he suspected it was Abydonian, because all he could make out was the word 'Apophis' before Daniel curled himself tighter and coughed into his sheets.

"You're safe, Daniel," Jack whispered, smoothing Daniel's hair back from his face. "With us. You're safe."

Instead of settling, Daniel opened his eyes. "Jack?"

"Yeah. You okay?"

"Don't f-feel good. Think I..."

Jack looked more sharply at his pinched expression. "You gonna be sick?" he asked. When Daniel only turned his face into the pillow, he reached for the basin by the bed but told him, "Try to hold on, or your medicine won't work." He placed the basin by Daniel's hand, repeating, "Hold on. I'll be right back."

A young doctor he didn't recognize was in the connecting room, and he stood as soon as Jack stepped up to the office. "Colonel?"

"Daniel's feeling nauseous--the nurse just gave him something..."

"The amoxicillin can do that, sir. I'll get him an anti-emetic," he said, already heading past him toward the main room.

Jack found his way back to Daniel and found him clutching the basin with both hands, breathing fast with his eyes squeezed shut. "The doctor's gonna give you something to help," he said. Daniel nodded slightly, coughing raggedly. Jack reached out and pushed aside Daniel's too-long, sweaty fringe of hair.

"Colonel," the doctor's voice said behind him, and he moved quickly out of the way to allow him access to the IV line. "Give it a minute," the man advised.

A short time later, Daniel's grip on the basin relaxed, and Jack pulled it gently away as he fell asleep again. He watched for a few minutes, then dropped with a sigh back into his chair.

...x...

**_14 December 1997; SGC, Earth; 0800 hrs_ **

The rest of the night was more quiet. Jack dozed off several times between nurses' checks, occasional fits of coughing, and a nightmare that seemed to subside with little urging. When he finally opened his eyes to see the lights on in the infirmary, he found blue eyes already watching at him.

"Morning, kid," he said, shaking sleep from his mind. "You feeling any better?"

Daniel didn't move. "You stayed," he said quietly.

"Said I would, didn't I?" Jack leaned in to touch Daniel's forehead, commenting worriedly, "Still pretty hot. You need me to get the doctor for you?"

"It's okay," he said, then coughed, turning away slightly.

Fraiser's heels announced her arrival. "Your throat must be feeling pretty dry, too. You think you can drink some water?" He nodded and sat up slowly, wrinkling his brow and accepting the cup of water she handed him. "Slowly," she warned. "Not too much at first." She made as if to let go, then quickly wrapped her hand back around the cup when it wobbled.

"Why'm I...so tired?" Daniel asked, sagging against the wall.

"That's normal, Daniel," she said. "Give it a few days."

Footsteps sounded at the door, and Jack turned to see Teal'c standing in the doorway. Daniel spotted him, too, and said weakly, " _Tek'ma'tae_ , Teal'c."

" _Tek'ma'tek, chal'ti_ ," the Jaffa answered, apparently taking that as permission to enter. " _Kel shek?_ "

" _Kel shak_." Daniel punctuated his words with a cough and a wince, raising his hand to his chest and inhaling carefully.

"Translation, someone?" Jack requested.

" _Kal tek, shek kree, kal'ma_ ," Teal'c said, making it sound like a rebuke.

"Hello?" Jack said, bemused. "Ranking officer here?"

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c finally acknowledged. "I was informing Daniel Jackson that he is, in fact, not well."

"Ah. Well, good. We need observant people in the field."

Fraiser sighed. "You people are going to give Daniel a headache."

"Not their fault," Daniel mumbled mulishly. "Already had one."

"Well," she amended tartly, holding out a pill, "then they're giving _me_ one. Come on, Daniel, one more and I'll let you lie down again. It's for that temperature you're working on."

Obediently, Daniel swallowed, but instead of lying back down, he turned his head to look at Teal'c. "Find Rya'c?" he asked.

"Indeed," Teal'c said.

"And..." He stopped to cough into his sleeve, then finished, " _P-prim'ta?_ "

Teal'c glanced at Jack, then said, "His _prim'ta_ was already nearly complete when we arrived." Daniel looked as stricken as Teal'c himself had upon first discovering the fact on Chulak. "My son was very ill. Only a Goa'uld symbiote could restore his health. We now believe that the _prim'ta_ may be necessary for the survival of a Jaffa."

" _Kree tak_ ," Daniel breathed, clearly distressed. "Sorry."

Teal'c tilted his head in curiosity. "You are not to blame, Daniel Jackson."

"No. I know. Means..." he trailed off, furrowing his brow in concentration.

"He means he feels bad on your behalf," Dr. Fraiser finished for him, carefully watching his glazed eyes with a frown.

"Dr. Fraiser treated Rya'c here until Captain Carter was able to return with an infant Goa'uld for him. My son is alive and strong," Teal'c said, "and he is now free of Apophis. That is enough."

" _Bonni_ ," Daniel sighed, his eyes slipping closed. "I mean...good."

Fraiser touched the back of her hand to his cheek. "All right, young man. That's enough for now. You can see your friends later. I'll let them back in if you're up to it."

Daniel's eyes opened again. "Was going to...ask the general--" His breath caught, and Jack reached out a steadying hand as he cleared his throat. "Didn't know...what to do...and they a-asked--" This time he couldn't stop the coughing fit, and Jack shifted to be able to support Daniel against his shoulder until the racking coughs died down into shivers.

"Is it urgent?" Jack asked, rearranging his arm so that it encircled Daniel's back and frowning at the slight wheeze he could feel through the thin shirt. "Can it wait a little while, kid?"

Daniel rested a moment, panting softly, and shook his head. "Not urgent," he whispered.

Jack carefully helped him back down on the bed. "When you're feeling better, I'll ask the general if he has time to see you. Deal?" After a moment, Daniel nodded.

" _Shashan_ ," Teal'c added. "Sleep. We will return."

Hazy blue eyes blinked open again, fixing on Teal'c. "Meet Rya'c?" he murmured hopefully.

Jack wondered at the intense interest in Teal'c's son, then realized suddenly that Daniel probably hadn't seen anyone below the age of about twenty-five since coming to Earth. Too many of them had gotten too used to treating him almost like a junior member of the regular staff. Most of the time, it was how he acted around people, except when he was alone with SG-1 or others he knew well. Or when he was sick, apparently, and he started acting more like a clingy kid.

Teal'c inclined his head. "My son is indeed eager to meet people. I will bring him to see you when you awaken, _chal'ti_."

When Daniel's eyes closed, Jack left with Teal'c, lingering at the door for Dr. Fraiser to finish whatever she was doing. "Have you heard from Bra'tac?" he asked quietly as they waited.

"I have not, nor do I expect to. He must not contact us in the near future, or he will expose himself. He has already risked enough by allowing Drey'auc and Rya'c to come here."

"But he'll keep feeling out other Jaffa on Chulak?"

Teal'c tilted his head. "I do not understand this 'feeling out.'"

"He'll...try to see what other Jaffa feel about rebelling against he Goa'uld," Jack clarified.

"He will indeed. It is a dream Master Bra'tac has long sought to fulfill."

Bra'tac would be a _very_ nice ally to have, if a little prickly to deal with. Over a hundred or not, the man knew what he was doing. "How are Rya'c and his mother settling in?" Jack said.

"They feel the loss of their home deeply," Teal'c said bluntly. "However, Drey'auc sees that it is preferable to being under the shadow of Apophis. She is grateful to your people for finding a safe planet for our son to grow."

"And your son? How's he feel about all this?"

An actual smile pulled at Teal'c lips. "As I said to Daniel Jackson, Rya'c is eager to see new worlds and new people. He is curious about this place."

"Good. Just make sure he doesn't run into anything or anywhere dangerous."

"I will ensure that he does not, O'Neill."

Fraiser finished hanging a bag on the stand by the bed and came toward them. "Colonel, Teal'c." She lifted her eyebrows. "Problem, sirs?"

"Just wanted to make sure the kid's okay," Jack told her.

"I thought as much." She hesitated. "Sir, medical privacy is a little fuzzy with Daniel, since he's a minor but doesn't have a legal guardian here, or even an officer to report to... I've been telling you about his condition, I realize, but I don't really have any official excuse to do so..."

"Doc," he interrupted, "my team and I are the closest to next-of-kin you're gonna find. I honestly don't think he'd mind you telling us. Have him sign a form when he's more awake."

She nodded. "I thought you'd say that," she admitted. "All right. Well, the fatigue is a little extreme, but it could be just a combination of not being completely recovered to begin with, this new infection, stress from the trip yesterday, the medications I have him on...any number of things. He's also never been exposed to pathogens on this planet, and his immune system may not be primed to respond as quickly to them. I'm not happy about how short of breath he is, but we'll keep an eye his lungs. I won't know for a while exactly which organism is causing it."

"Right," Jack said, a little warily. He had to admit that the short sentence fragments, especially coming from Daniel, were worrying him, too. "What's in that bag you just put up?"

"I'm switching him to IV antibiotics, since the pills seem to make him ill--he'll be here for at least a few days, anyway, so it'll just make things easier. We'll take care of him," she assured him. "Colonel O'Neill, I'd suggest that you either go home to sleep or take advantage of a bunk in the on-call room down the hall."

"Yeah," he said, taking a final glance toward the infirmary. "I remember the drill."

"Previous experience, sir?"

Seeing her curious expression, he explained shortly, "My son. Didn't get sick much, but when he did..." Clearing his throat, he told her, "Thanks, Doc. Teal'c, why don't you go spend some time with your family before they're scheduled to leave."

Teal'c bowed and made his way to the elevator.

As she went back inside, he yawned and pushed into the on-call room, claiming a bunk and flopping onto the mattress for a few hours of sleep, glad they wouldn't be up on the mission rotation anytime soon. He was getting too old for this.

...x...

**_15 December 1997; SGC, Earth, 0900 hrs_ **

"No," Fraiser said when Jack tried to get in the next day.

"What do you mean, 'no?' You wouldn't let me in last night, either," Jack said. Then he rethought her words and asked, "What's wrong?" He peeked over her petite frame to the bed where Daniel seemed to be sleeping and pointed out, "Teal'c's there."

"Teal'c was here for a good part of the night. He can't catch Daniel's germs and get sick; you can," she added when he turned a scowl on her. "I have to limit visitors, for _his_ benefit as well as to prevent contagion. This isn't looking like a quick, in-and-out case, and the last thing he needs now is to be bothered by too many people at once. When he wakes up, Teal'c will go spend time with his family, and I'll let you in."

A choking sound came from inside the infirmary, and Jack's eyes snapped over to see Teal'c helping Daniel sit up, the smaller body shuddering with each cough until Daniel hunched over, panting, with one hand clutching Teal'c's arm and another pressed against his chest. Teal'c eased him back to a semi-upright position with unusual gentleness. "Doc, he's awake," Jack said, starting to sidle past her.

Her expression was worried, but she nodded. As he stepped in, she stopped him with a frown and a firm, "Colonel O'Neill. Daniel is still very ill. Don't--"

"I'm not an idiot; I won't do anything to him," he said indignantly, his eyes cutting over to where Teal'c was bending over Daniel. From where they stood, Jack could just barely hear the low rumble of the Jaffa's voice. Reluctantly, it seemed, Fraiser nodded again and turned, pulling her stethoscope from around her neck.

Daniel was looking up tiredly at Teal'c, but his eyes moved toward them as they approached. "Hey," Jack said quietly, quickly walking to the other side of the bed, out of the doctor's way

Daniel didn't answer, and he didn't make an attempt to move away when Fraiser automatically brushed his damp hair aside to feel his forehead. He did flinch from the stethoscope she tried to place on his back, though. "I know it's cold," Fraiser said apologetically, rubbing the instrument with her hands to warm it and replacing it under his shirt. "I need to listen to your lungs, just for a minute. Take a breath in..."

He obeyed, then began coughing again when he inhaled too deeply, pulling away from Fraiser and wrapping his arms around himself. Jack rubbed a hand over Daniel's back when he finally stopped and tried to catch his breath. "H-hurts," he whispered, his eyes squeezed shut. Jack looked up sharply at the doctor.

She glanced at him but spoke directly to Daniel. "I know, sweetie--it's that infection in your lungs, but we're going to make it better. Do you feel better lying down or do you want to stay sitting up?" He cracked his eyelids open and looked at her blankly.

From over the top of her head, Teal'c said something in another language--not Goa'uld, Jack could recognize that much; probably Abydonian--and Daniel rasped something back in kind, coughing a little at the effort and letting his eyes droop shut again. "He prefers to remain as he is," Teal'c informed them.

"Thank you, Teal'c," Fraiser said, checking her thermometer and looking at the two of them pointedly.

"Teal'c, do you need to go back to Drey'auc and Rya'c?" Jack suggested.

Daniel seemed to be asleep again, or somewhere between asleep and awake. Teal'c glanced down at him, then inclined his head and left silently. Jack touched two fingers to Daniel's throat, checking his pulse rate and also feeling the fever that still raged hot, and was surprised when Daniel turned his head fractionally into his touch. Fraiser was watching them.

"He might not be very alert today," she said quietly. "His fever's been spiking occasionally, and he's exhausted."

"I won't disturb him," Jack promised again, his hand inching toward Daniel's shoulder when he mumbled something too soft to catch. "Anything I can do?"

She gave him a small smile. "It's just taking some time for the medicine to work. Just call someone if anything's wrong, especially if it looks like he's having trouble breathing. He's been sleeping on and off, mostly, but if he starts dreaming or wakes up confused, just keep him calm."

"Got it," he said, not moving. "I'll take care of it."

As if he had been waiting for her to leave, Daniel opened his eyes again when she'd disappeared into the back office. "Jack," he whispered.

"Yeah?" No answer came. "What's wrong, kiddo?" Daniel's eyes were brighter than usual, but Jack wasn't sure whether it was from the fever or if he was upset.

He coughed once, then shook his head slightly and closed his eyes again.

Jack watched him for a few moments, then sat down in a chair, pulling his hand back. As if alerted by the loss of contact, Daniel's eyes snapped back open. "It's okay, it's okay," Jack told him immediately, gratified to see the alarm fade back to calm. "I'm still here."

XXXXX

**_18 December 1997; SGC, Earth, 1100 hrs_ **

It was three more days before Fraiser thought Daniel well enough for Jack to return with both Hammond and Carter. Rya'c and Teal'c were there already, Rya'c shifting energetically from foot to foot and chattering in a confusing mixture of English and Goa'uld that Daniel and his father apparently understood.

In comparison, Daniel looked pale and worn, but Jack was relieved to see him alert at last, free of the IV and making some attempt at conversation with his new friend. If he still stopped too often to cough or catch his breath, he was at least sitting up and didn't look about to fall over.

With the two Jaffa facing away from the entrance, Daniel was the first to spot them. His eyes sobered, and he broke off mid-sentence. "General Hammond," he said, his voice still strained.

"Good morning, Mr. Jackson," the general replied, striding into the infirmary. "You had us worried."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. He had spent a couple of long, feverish days sleeping fitfully and wheezing through congested lungs, but the antibiotics had finally started to do their job and the fever was beginning to go down. Carter had been visiting yesterday morning and told Jack afterward that he was well enough to be asking whether Rya'c and Teal'c's wife were still on Earth and if he could please play that game that Rya'c had told him about the day before.

Apparently, Daniel was quickly becoming bored after a whole day of not trying to cough his lungs out, and Jack had stopped in earlier just in time to hear Rothman refuse to bring him any of the something-or-other-from-Babylon that they'd been working on. His respect for the archaeologist went up a reluctant notch.

"I will bring Rya'c back to his mother," Teal'c told them, starting to lead his son from the room. "We will be ready when you have finished in here, General Hammond."

"You're leaving today?" Daniel said, looking disappointed. " _Lek tol_ , Rya'c."

"Farewell, Daniel," Rya'c called back with a wave. "You must come visit us." Daniel glanced nervously at Jack and the general then and only smiled wordlessly in return.

When they were outside, Jack asked, "You know how long you're stuck in here?"

"Janet said until my fever's gone," Daniel said. "And the blood work...something." He flapped a hand vaguely. "I don't remember."

"I'm glad to see you better," Hammond said, looking down at Daniel. "First off, I want to tell you that if I could have prevented your removal from this facility, I would have done so. I don't want you believing that the SGC has any doubts about your motives or allegiances."

"I know, sir," Daniel said, looking surprised. "I'm grateful you were there." He hesitated, then said, more timidly, "You called me one of yours. It meant a lot."

"So," Jack said, "what was it you wanted to ask the general about?"

Daniel wrinkled his forehead. "Sorry I made a big deal about it. I was...confused. Just some things Colonel Maybourne said. I don't really understand, but..."

"Why don't you tell us, son," the general prompted.

Pausing occasionally for breath, Daniel started, "Said I was... 'wasting potential at the SGC.'"

Jack crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He said the NID did more research. I could be helpful there. They wanted people who were...open-minded and adaptable or something."

Carter frowned. "I really hope this isn't normal procedure for them."

"No, no," Daniel said, clearing his throat. "He waited until Agent Smithley left. So I didn't think it was...what they always do. Didn't know what to think."

Jack exchanged a look with Carter, then commented, "What _I_ think is that this is a type of communication you're not going to learn about through textbooks."

"And then," Daniel said, "after they tested the devices..."

Jack snorted, still finding it hard to believe anyone had actually thought they might work.

"...he had a data-display tablet." He blinked up at them expectantly, as if they should all be following his line of reasoning and know what he was thinking. Jack waited for more information, but nothing more seemed forthcoming.

Then, Carter leaned forward. "Oh! You mean the one they said they didn't have? The one that went along with the page-turning device that they showed you during the questioning."

Daniel nodded. "He waited until the scientists left, and...then he wanted me to translate it."

Jack uncrossed his arms. "What, on the spot? You and Rothman spent days on the ones we found."

"I thought it was a test, to see if I could do it. Or maybe they would...use its translation as a...a guide to learn the language. Wasn't even very hard. The root languages were really easy. I could have done it."

Daniel wasn't shy about his knowledge or his skills, but he didn't usually exaggerate them, either. If he thought he could have done it, it meant that whoever had set this whole thing up must have had some idea of what he was capable of or had a very good reason to find out.

"But you didn't translate it," the general said.

"Didn't know if I was supposed to," Daniel said, looking down. "It's what I wanted to ask you. I didn't have enough time for all of it. They let me come back home. But I almost..." He trailed off in an unintelligible mumble.

"Louder, Daniel," Jack said. "We didn't catch that."

"Almost told him I couldn't read it," Daniel said to his hands.

"Why is that?" Hammond asked neutrally.

Daniel twisted his sheets in his fingers. "I just... He didn't tell you about it, General...or other NID people. He kept saying things about the SGC. Agent Smithley was...very surprised to see it--said they had to tell the SGC. He convinced Colonel Maybourne to let me leave. Did he tell you about the tablet? He said he would."

"In fact," Hammond said "I just received a report with details of the findings of the other four artifacts as well as the tablet. I have to wonder, however, if they all would have made it into the report if they hadn't been forced into it, either by us or by one of their own more...scrupulous agents. Were you able to see any of what the tablet said?"

"A little. But I think it was just a random--" He turned aside to cough, then took a slow breath and went on. "It was just about how Earth fought off Ra in Giza. Nothing new, I think. It didn't look urgent."

"Well, that's something, at least."

"This could mean," Carter said, "that the NID, or at least people _in_ the NID or working at Area 51--"

"Or all of the above," Jack pointed out.

"--could have any number of findings, archaeological or otherwise, that we'd never know about unless we stumbled onto it."

"They know everything about _us_ ," Daniel added unhappily.

"Whatever we may think of it, knowing everything about the SGC is one of their jobs, son," the general said, though he looked like he didn't think much of it himself. "Unfortunately, right now, _they_ aren't accountable to _us_."

"Swell," Jack remarked.

"He said they could help Abydos," Daniel said suddenly.

The general frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We have unused naquadah. He said I could be useful in...uh, 'facilitating an arrangement' with them from Earth. No one else mentioned it," he added. "None of the other agents."

Jack didn't think he liked Colonel Harry Maybourne very much.

"It sounds perfectly reasonable, too," Carter said.

"Excuse me?" Jack replied, turning on her.

"I'm not saying it was the right way to go about it, sir, but we do have all the elements we need to put a plan like that into motion, and that's including"--she looked apologetically at Daniel--"a connection between both worlds in the form of Daniel. The benefits to both sides could be huge."

"Now, hold on a--"

"It _does_ bother me, of course," she continued, "that they would bring it up to Daniel and not to General Hammond. That doesn't make much sense, sir."

"And, Jack," Daniel said. "He knows how much I've wanted to go through the Stargate, and... I've been hoping there was a way I could help with the Goa'uld even after the Abydos 'gate opens. And...a-and--" He broke off suddenly, turning away and coughing hard, a hand pressed against his chest.

"Okay, kid, I think that's enough for--" Jack started.

"No, wait," Daniel insisted, recovering and sounding genuinely upset. "It's just, I only told you and Teal'c about that. But he knew I've been thinking it--wondering if... But that's not in a file anywhere, is it?"

"No, it wouldn't be," Carter agreed, looking curious, "but if he's smart, he could probably infer that from what _is_ in your files and from talking to you."

"What did you tell Colonel Maybourne when he approached you with this?" General Hammond asked.

"Nothing, sir. He said to think about it. I didn't know what to say. Didn't know what I was _supposed_ to say," he admitted with a grimace.

"Well, you did the right thing," Hammond said.

"Didn't do anything at all," Daniel muttered obstinately, but he lethargically dropped his head back, looking relieved and suddenly almost sleepy now that he had official confirmation that he hadn't screwed up. "Didn't agree, but didn't argue, either."

"You should never have been put in that situation at all. I appreciate your remembering everything and bringing your concerns to my attention. Is there... Daniel?" Hammond called gently, startling the drooping eyelids into raising again.

"Sorry."

"Is there anything else you need to ask or tell me immediately?"

Daniel tilted his head to the side, thinking, then shook his head. "No, sir."

Hammond patted him on the shoulder. "All right, then we'll let you rest. You did well, son."

...x...

"It almost sounds like someone's trying to recruit him," Carter said once they were outside, returning to the embarkation room where Teal'c and his family waited.

"Why would they want to do that?" Jack asked. "Because, I mean, language nut or not, years of experience and formal education _do_ count for something."

"'Open-minded and adaptable' sounds like they want someone they can mold the way they want."

"Yeah, and where better to start than someone young and almost completely new to this world," Jack said darkly.

"With what he already knows now, Daniel could be very useful to someone one day, with the right training," she pointed out. "They probably realize how strongly he feels about the Goa'uld. By playing off his feelings about the enemy and his homeworld..." She paused. "Has Daniel really talked to you about that, Colonel? About helping us fight the Goa'uld from Abydos?"

"Not exactly," Jack said. "What he actually said is that he's considering staying on Earth to keep working with us, because he _can't_ help from Abydos. I think he mostly talks to Teal'c about it," he added. "Similar situations and all--leaving home to help from somewhere else."

"In any case," General Hammond said, "I can't help but think this whole thing was mostly about Abydos. Getting the chance to feel out Mr. Jackson and planting the idea of working for the NID was probably just a bonus; Colonel Maybourne was very interested in alien technology and in Abydonian naquadah, even when he was here at the SGC."

"Yeah, what was that all about? It's not like the NID has a Stargate they can use to set up their thing with Abydos. And whatever he was doing...that was just sloppy," he added. "They had to know Daniel would tell us about it."

"I looked up Maybourne," Carter said. "He's only recently taken over for Colonel Kennedy as the chief NID liaison with the SGC, but he's been with them for quite some time now, heading up several of their projects. Maybe he's gotten overconfident in swaying people to his view, or maybe he underestimated Daniel's loyalty to the SGC, and not just Earth in general."

"I've dealt with the NID before a couple of times before," Hammond said. "I can't say I always agree with them, but they are normally a...relatively reasonable organization."

"Right," Jack scoffed, "because Kennedy seemed so very reasonable when he wanted to use Teal'c and Kawalsky to study Goa'uld larvae."

"Clearly, the reopening of the Stargate program should prompt a review of their protocol," the general conceded. "I've already spoken to the President to suggest that."

"They've actually been working on Stargate business more consistently than we have, since the first Abydos mission in '82," Carter pointed out. "They've had over fifteen years--we don't know what they've been doing in that time. If there _is_ anything...illegitimate going on within their organization, it's had plenty of time to fester, and we'd have no way to know about it."

"Under the circumstances," Hammond said as they neared the embarkation room, where the address of the Land of Light was already being dialed, "we'll assume that Colonel Maybourne's methods were unorthodox but not necessarily indications of anything untoward. We will continue to comply with NID requests, as they may be; however, I'll ask you to take notice and take care if something seems suspicious."

"Yes, sir," Jack answered, a little grudgingly, wishing there were some more direct action they could take.

"General Hammond," Teal'c greeted them when they stepped inside. "We are prepared to leave."

_"Chevron seven--locked!"_

The unstable vortex swept outward from the Stargate and then settled back. Hammond nodded to the Jaffa. "Good luck. You'll find good people there to help you start a home."

Drey'auc inclined her head. "That is our hope."


	13. Christmas

**_25 December 1997; O'Neill residence, Earth, 0600 hrs_ **

"What're you doing up so early?" Jack asked when he came down the stairs after noticing the guest room was empty. "You're supposed to sleep in when you're not stuck at the Mountain. That's the whole point of holidays and having time off." Daniel was facing away from him and didn't answer. "Daniel?"

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" Daniel asked distractedly.

Jack sighed in exasperation when he spotted Daniel sitting on the floor, looking out the window, dressed in new sweatpants and one of his usual T-shirts. He detoured to the living room and picked up a sweater that had been left on the sofa. "Put this on. You're gonna get pneumonia again."

Daniel turned his head finally and rolled his eyes. "Janet said you don't get sick by being cold, and I'm not cold, Jack. I'm better now."

He still tired a little more quickly than he should, but he was at least well enough to be annoyed when people fussed, and the coughing had stopped almost completely, so Jack relented, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table. As he dropped the sweater over the back of it, he grumbled, "Over a week in the infirmary, Daniel. I'm not calling you 'better' until Frasier says you're allowed to run around in the snow. And," he added, "you're...sitting on my floor."

"Yes, I am, Jack," Daniel agreed.

"It's dusty."

"It's okay."

"O...kay. Then is there a reason you're sitting on my dusty floor?"

"I was meditating."

"You were?" Jack said, frowning. "Do you meditate every day? I didn't know that; there's gotta bet a better place than my kitchen floor."

"I usually just join Teal'c in his room for _kelno'reem_ ," Daniel explained, his hands resting over his crossed legs, "but I'm not very good at focusing when I'm by myself, and all the white was helping." He gestured at the smooth blanket outside the window, where the sun still hadn't risen. He'd been particularly disappointed when Jack had refused to let him linger more than a few minutes in the snow. "And I don't meditate every day. Just when I'm...thinking."

"Does it help?" Jack asked.

"Does what help what?"

"The thinking thing. Does meditation help?"

"Not always," Daniel admitted. "But when I first got here, I used to get...uh, kind of upset a lot." Jack snorted. Daniel shot him a scowl. "Teal'c always used to tell me to meditate then. It still helps me...you know, calm down and everything."

"Uh-huh. So," Jack said, heading for the coffeemaker, "you were...'thinking,' huh. About what?"

"Just...not much, I suppose." There was a pause, and then, "Jack, when's the solstice?"

"The winter solstice?" Jack thought for a moment. "This year it was...three days ago, actually. Why?"

"Just... I missed it. I mean, it's not a big deal," Daniel said lightly as he rose to his feet and took a chair, though his face said otherwise. "It's not like I would have done anything different if I had known when it was." He looked down at his hands on the table. "It's not even the same day as the solstice on Abydos. I don't know why I thought of it."

"You celebrated the winter solstice on Abydos?"

"Always. For the rebirth of the sun."

Jack pushed the button to start the drip, then commented, "I would've expected the people of Abydos to...kinda steer clear of that one. Rebirth of the sun. Ra rising from the dead. You know?"

"Well, my father said that on Earth, the Egyptians actually commemorated the rebirth of Osiris, but I suppose on Abydos the tradition became celebration of Ra, for obvious reasons. Anyway, our solstice now celebrates the death of a false god and the rebirth of our true traditions." A fond grin spread over Daniel's face. "But Skaara says everyone just didn't want to give up the chance for a feast."

"Ah--that's good enough for me," Jack said approvingly. "I like Skaara more and more every time I hear about him."

Daniel's smile faltered, but he played along gamely. "He would h--he will be very excited when I tell him I've talked to you. That I learned to _spar_ from the great Jack O'Neill." He peeked upward. "He'll want to meet you, when we find him," he said, making it sound like a question.

"Yeah," Jack said without a pause. "I'd like to meet him, too. When we find him and his sister." He turned, pouring a mug of coffee and another of milk. When he sat down, Daniel wrapped his hands around the cup, but didn't pick it up. "So, solstice was a big day on your calendar. Hey, that's right--your dad's journal even marked your birth by the solstice, didn't it?"

"Daniel Mshai Jackson, born one hundred days before Winter Solstice," Daniel said, as if reciting it from memory.

"What's 'Mshai' mean?" Jack asked, vaguely remembering that from the journal. "Is it Egyptian?"

"Mm-hm. They wanted to name me the way people on Earth do, at least in America, with the given names followed by the family name. My mother chose my first name, and my father gave me an Egyptian middle name."

"What does it mean?"

"'Daniel?' It means 'God is my judge.'"

Jack felt his eyebrows raise. "Good to know. But I meant your middle name--the one that's not English."

"My first name is Hebrew in origin, Jack."

Brat. "You know what I meant."

He flashed a quick smile. "'Mshai' means 'traveler.'"

"No kidding? It fits." He took a sip of his coffee, then said, "Well, traveler, if you're gonna be all multicultural, you might as well take advantage of celebrating Earth's version of a...uh, kinda-solstice festival while you're still here."

"While I'm still here," Daniel repeated, softly, pensively, before saying brightly, "I've always wondered about Christmas. I've heard about it, of course, but we didn't exactly celebrate it on Abydos." Daniel had been asking about the holiday recently, but however his parents had explained it, he had ended up with a very jumbled view of Christmas that seemed composed of many different practices all mashed together. "You really don't think they'll mind if--"

"No one will mind, and you're coming with me if I have to drag you. It's not even a conventional sort of Christmas thing--Carter says she doesn't have a tree or anything, and no one's had time to do presents, what with that planet we just went to with the people who worshipped those weird trees and--"

"Maybe they were celebrating Christmas," Daniel said, hiding a smile behind a sip of milk.

"Yeah," Jack scoffed, "a very _angry_ Christmas, complete with poisonous trees, spears, and murderous mobs trying to decide whether or not to use us as Yule logs. The point is, we spent yesterday escaping some weird sacrificial ritual, and everyone's looking forward to something low-pressure, for once. It's just dinner with friends, and we all want you there."

"Are you sure? What if I do something wrong and..."

"I'm sure, and you _won't_ , because there's nothing to get right or wrong. And I'm not letting you sit in your room all Christmas day studying Norse runes or whatever it is this time. You've done enough of that recently."

"That's only because no one would let me do anything else," he pointed out, "even after Janet said I was fine and let me leave the infirmary."

"Uh-huh. Falling asleep in the archaeology office the day you were released wasn't the best way to prove that, kid. Of course, if _I_ had to stay in the archaeology office all day, I'd probably fall asleep, too, but..."

"Jack, that was _once_. Robert sleeps in his office all the time."

"Sometimes, at _night_ , because he has no life and stays at work for fun," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Daniel, just relax for a few days, for crying out loud. You can go back to training with Teal'c or bothering Carter about DHD glyphs after the holiday. But you'll have to work back up to speed," he warned. "If you end up sick again after staying with me for the week, Frasier'll kick my a...uh..."

" _Mik'ta_?" Daniel suggested, snickering a little.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean what I think it means? Why do you even know that word in Goa'uld?"

"Learned it from Rya'c when Teal'c wasn't listening," Daniel said.

Shaking his head, he drained his coffee mug and asked, "What do you want for breakfast?"

XXXXX

**_25 December 1997; Carter residence, Earth, 1700 hrs_ **

As Jack rang the doorbell, he passed an eye over Daniel, who was looking around at the lights strung up on the neighbors' houses.

It was a good thing they were just meeting Carter and Teal'c, who wouldn't give a crap about formalities, because the best clothes Daniel had were a pair of BDU trousers, a T-shirt, and one of Jack's sweaters that had shrunk in the wash, not to mention a borrowed coat from Jack's closet. Even with the couple of inches he'd shot up in the months since Abydos, he still stood more than half a head shorter than Jack, but the clothes fit well enough for the time being.

A presents exchange had been nixed partly because of the time crunch, and partly because he and Carter didn't know each other well enough yet to know what was appropriate between teammates, coworkers, and CO/2IC, while Teal'c still seemed a little shaky on the concept of normal presents in general. They'd decided to get together as a team and include Daniel, since none of them had available family to spend the holiday with, so they were keeping it casual to make sure no one felt any pressure to find last-minute gifts or do anything special.

Carter had admitted that she didn't usually do anything at all for Christmas on her own; Jack's only Christmas on his own in recent years was a mess of memories muddled with too much alcohol and not something he was eager to repeat. If they were going to show two off-worlders what it should be like, they might as well do something so simple that they couldn't possibly screw it up.

"Colonel, Daniel," Carter greeted when she opened the door. "Come in. I just picked up Teal'c, so we're all here now."

Sure enough, Teal'c was standing behind her, looking slightly less at ease than normal. Actually, Carter and Daniel did as well, standing and looking almost apprehensively around the room. They'd all spent time together off-duty, but not enough yet to feel completely comfortable in someone's home. "So," Jack said before it could become awkward, "can we just leave our coats over here, or..."

"Oh, of course, here, I'll take them," she said, hurriedly, looking grateful for something to do. "Um...make yourselves comfortable. Teal'c and I were just discussing the merits of testing the effects of--"

"Ah, Carter! You'd better not have been about to say 'naquadah' or anything with the word device in it. No talking shop on Christmas."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "We were not, in fact, speaking of a shop, O'Neill."

"Of course not," he muttered, then looked around the living room. What he could see of the house looked impeccably tidy, as he'd expected after seeing Carter's neat office space, but welcoming enough. "Nice place," he commented. "You must've had to move in pretty quick, what with the last-minute transfer from Washington."

"I'm used to moving on little notice," she answered, taking a self-conscious look around as well. "Air Force brat."

Jack had to smother a laugh as both Daniel and Teal'c looked confused and blinked in synchrony. "It means she grew up with a parent in the Air Force," he explained to them. "Probably had to move around a lot."

"Really?" Daniel asked. "So your parents know about the SGC?"

"Uh...well, no," Carter said, thrown slightly off-balance. "The Air Force is a big branch--the SGC's only part of it. My dad's a general, but he's not...involved with anything we do at Cheyenne."

Daniel seemed interested and opened his mouth to ask something else, but Jack nudged him and threw him a meaningful glance. Daniel looked back at him curiously but didn't press the issue--for all his curiosity, the kid was an alien on a foreign world and had gotten very good at reading people's reactions--and turned to Teal'c instead. "Do the Jaffa on Chulak have traditions that they celebrate?"

"Here, have a seat while you chat," Carter told them all. "I'll go get something to drink."

"Let me help you with that," Jack offered, escaping before he was pulled into a discussion of Jaffa holidays, most of which probably involved weapons at one point or another.

Once they were in the kitchen, she told him, sounding a little anxious and a little embarrassed, "I don't know what you're used to for the holidays, sir, but I didn't prepare anything fancy. I haven't had time for anything but some basic things straight from the supermarket. I hope no one minds."

"We lived off MREs and commissary food for the last week," he reminded her. "The last few months, practically. No one'll mind." He and Sara had usually made a big deal about Christmas, actually, but it had been mostly for Charlie's benefit. "In fact, I'd prefer something quiet. And Daniel was nervous as hell that he'd mess up some important tradition he didn't know about, so I know for a fact that _he_ 's glad it's not a big thing. Teal'c would probably be uncomfortable, too."

"I just feel bad--it's Daniel's only chance at Christmas and I don't even have a tree."

"Trust me, Carter, that's a good thing where he's concerned." When she raised her eyebrows, he explained, "Apparently, Daniel's still reading about Thor in his free time, and he found out that Christmas trees might have started with something that involved chopping down Thor's tree and renouncing him."

"Ouch." She took a few glasses from an overhead cabinet, grinning. "It was really good of you to bring him home with you for a few days, sir. I know you've brought him off base several times since he arrived."

"Teenagers should see the sun once in a while," Jack said. "And _you_ invited us tonight."

"I'm kind of new to this, but I thought...well, family time and all. Daniel and Teal'c...I mean, some people don't have families, but they don't even have their... _world_. And it's so soon after Teal'c had to say good-bye to his wife and son again."

"Yeah." Jack shrugged. "Well, we've got SG-1 instead."

"SG-1 plus Daniel," she corrected, shrugging a _'why not?'_ "Did you know, Sergeant Harriman calls him our adopted kid brother?"

"I'm a little old to be his brother," he said wryly. "And did your kid brother used to run your mission briefings, Captain?"

"That's only happened once since Cimmeria--"

"Only once with SG-1," he clarified. "Two or three times with other teams."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, Rothman drags him around to help sometimes. Anyway, speaking of families," he said casually, "why haven't we heard about General Carter before now?"

She opened the refrigerator. "We don't keep in close contact, sir," she said in a controlled tone. "He...obviously, he doesn't know about the Stargate, but when I can only tell him I'm working on something terribly exciting that has to do with deep-space telemetry..."

"You don't get to be a general by being an idiot." Jack knew what it was like--Sara had mostly learned to go along with the cover stories over the years, but there was only so much bull most people would swallow before starting to ask questions. Even Charlie had been curious.

Carter smiled ruefully. "I used to want to be an astronaut. My dad still...well, he doesn't understand why I'd be working for NORAD when I could be on a career path toward traveling through space, instead."

Jack snorted.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway..." She hesitated, then said, "Do you want me to bring out the beer, or should I stick with non-alcoholic tonight?"

He glanced into the other room, where Daniel was sitting on the sofa with his legs folded under him and listening intently while Teal'c explained something. "I wouldn't mind a beer. Teal'c doesn't drink, though, which is good, since I'm pretty sure Daniel will be happy to copy his Jaffa Master."

She chuckled and handed him two bottles with a "yes, sir," filling two glasses with water.

"By the way...ah, Sam," he said, "we're off duty. You can drop the 'sir' for tonight. Give those two an idea of how normal Earth people interact away from the base."

Her lips quirked in a smile. "Yes, si--right. Jack."

"And Sam...who the hell is Sergeant Harriman?"

"Walter Harriman? He's the one monitoring the control room's computers, most of the time. You know, the one who dials addresses and receives incoming teams."

He frowned. "I thought his name was Davis. Could've sworn I saw 'Davis' on his uniform."

She gave him a startled look. "Um. No, I don't think so."

"...really use a _bashaak_ for that?" Daniel was saying when they returned, an expression of horrified fascination on his face.

"Indeed," Teal'c told him with a straight face.

"I thought the point was to resolve the dispute."

"If one party is rendered physically incapable, then there can no longer be any argument."

"Huh," Daniel said, his expression suspicious, as if he thought Teal'c might be pulling his leg. Jack wasn't convinced Teal'c ever did make jokes, but Daniel insisted that he did and that they were very funny if one knew the context. "Jack, did you know that--"

"Don't tell me," Jack said. "I don't think I wanna know." He waited for Carter to set down the glasses, then handed her a bottle. "Why don't we take some time to relax and finish these"--he held up his bottle--"and then let's go give the captain a hand with dinner."

"That's not necessary," she assured them. "I just need to toss a few things into the oven and we're set. It's not a big deal."

"Wait, Sam," Daniel said, unfolding his legs. "Is the oven...how does it work? The one at Jack's house doesn't look anything like how we used to do it on Abydos."

Jack took a sip of his beer. "Looks like you've got yourself a helper, Sam."

XXXXX

**_25 December 1997; Carter residence, Earth, 2100 hrs_ **

"Are you and Sam Christian?" Daniel asked afterward. He was drying dishes that Jack washed, while Carter and Teal'c finished clearing the table.

"Why do you ask?" Jack replied.

"Isn't Christmas about the birth of the son of a...I mean, _the_ Christian god?"

"Well, these days, a lot of non-Christian people celebrate it, too. Not everyone, but a lot of the country. It's like...a cultural thing now. Sort of depends on the person."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "You're not, then?"

Jack hesitated. "Uh...well," he finally said. "I was raised Catholic--that's a branch of the religion--and my wife and I used to take our son to church."

"That's...Charlie?" Daniel said.

He grimaced, converting the expression to a partial smile when Daniel peeked uncertainly at him. "Yeah. Charlie. Anyway... I'm still Catholic if you want to believe my dog tags, but I don't really practice anymore."

The _'why not?'_ he half-expected never came, for which he was grateful. Then Daniel gave him a brief but very serious look and wordlessly, not-quite-accidentally let his shoulder brush gently against Jack's arm as he reached for another dish. Sometimes, when they were away from work, he forgot how much Daniel had been through himself, and how well he understood certain things, despite his youth. After all, he'd grown up around people who probably knew as well as anyone the kinds of things that made a person reexamine his faith.

"I shouldn't have asked that," Daniel said apologetically, stacking the plates with more care than was strictly necessary. "Belief and...all of that, it's private. I was just curious and didn't think."

"Story of your life," Jack quipped. "It's okay; I asked you once before, too. And hey..." He waited until Daniel met his eyes. "Like I said, tonight wasn't exactly the biggest celebration, but--"

"It was perfect," Daniel interrupted, his eyes shining. When Jack looked more closely at him, he turned back to the counter and rubbed his towel vigorously against the last plate, saying, "Really, it was. I've never seen you all so...not worried about anything. And I'm really honored that you all let me spend tonight with you, especially...just...anyway. It was wonderful to be with you all."

"Christmas isn't a time for being alone," Jack said. He waited a few seconds, then put out a hand to stop Daniel's dishtowel and take away the plate, which was by now very dry.

Daniel didn't look up, but the strain in his voice was obvious. "I wish that..." He exhaled shakily and started again. "You've all been...so kind to me. I haven't had a Christmas before, but I know how significant it is to people here, and I c-can't..."

"Daniel, you don't have to--"

"I can't tell you how glad I am to be with you and Sam and Teal'c," he continued insistently. "I spend time with everyone on base sometimes, but it's nice to just...be together for once, with all of you at the same time. I'm not saying I don't wish my...that other people could be...but there's no one else in the world I w-would rather..." He stopped.

"Well, _this_ world, anyway," Jack said lightly, even though that part wasn't a joke and wasn't funny. He cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Daniel, who hesitated, then relaxed against him. "Yeah, kid. Know exactly how you feel. Me too."

A sound caught their attention, and Daniel pulled away, ducking his head and blinking at the back wall. "Hi, kids," Jack called brightly as they came in.

Carter's eyes flicked to where Daniel stood and Jack shifted slightly in front of him to give him time to compose himself. With an understanding nod, she joked, "All silverware accounted for, sir."

"It was a most satisfying meal," Teal'c added, bowing to them.

"Yes, it was," Daniel said, stepping from behind Jack. "Thank you."

"Glad you liked it." She smiled and absently reached out to straighten his hair.

"Hey," he complained, ducking her hand, though he was smiling, too. "Why do people keep doing that?"

"Because you need a haircut," she informed him, making a scissor shape with two fingers and nipping at his bangs before being brushed away again.

"You could go with Teal'c's look," Jack suggested, making Daniel scowl and Teal'c raise an eyebrow.

"Daniel Jackson does not yet have his first wife," he said seriously, making Daniel flush a deep red and Carter choke on a laugh.

"He'll work on it," Jack said, mussing Daniel's hair again and surreptitiously checking his temperature, the instinctive worry still lingering even though the illness was all but gone. He earned an embarrassed scowl for his efforts. "Actually," he added with a look at the clock, "Teal'c, you need a ride back to the base tonight?"

"I was going to drive Teal'c back," Carter told him. "I live closer than you do."

"Fine. In that case, we should probably get going before that snowstorm hits," he said, backing toward the door. "It's getting late."

"Well, here," she said, picking up a plastic container. "Leftovers, but if you'd like to take some with you..."

Accepting the Tupperware, he agreed, "It'll save us a meal tomorrow. Thanks, Carter." He paused, then added, "Seriously, Sam. Thanks for..." He gestured vaguely. "You know. I-- _we_ ," he corrected, including Daniel, "had a great time."

"I, too, was pleased to be in the company of friends," Teal'c told them all.

"So was I. Merry Christmas, everyone," Carter said in answer.

Jack pulled their coats from where Sam had hung them. "You too."

Instead of taking his coat, Daniel took a hesitant step forward, then caught Sam in a hug. "Thank you, Sam," he whispered. She returned it readily and dropped a kiss on the side of his head. Blushing again, he extracted himself and gave Teal'c a shallow bow. "Merry Christmas, Teal'c."

Very solemnly, Teal'c bowed back. "And to you, Daniel Jackson."

"C'mon, kiddo," Jack said, unable to stop a smile at seeing him initiate an embrace for the first time he could remember. "Let's get going."

Daniel lingered outside the car with a hand on the door, looking back at Sam's house. Jack watched him from the other side of the car until he finally pulled his door open and climbed into the seat. Once Jack had the engine running, he asked, not taking his eyes from the road, "Daniel? You good?"

"It was...really good, Jack, being with all of you," he replied softly, wistfully. "I'll always remember that."

Jack felt a lurch around his gut. "Good," he said, the words coming out more abruptly than he'd intended. "I'm glad."

_I'll always remember_.

Because this wasn't permanent. Jack couldn't help thinking of the way Daniel had mentioned being confused about whether he should stay or go back to Abydos--the way he was starting to refer unthinkingly to the SGC as 'home' sometimes--and had to remind himself that it would be wrong and cruel to try to sway the decision toward Earth.

Sometimes he thought they could still visit him occasionally, like Teal'c did with his family in the Land of Light. But then he counted the number of Goa'uld who they knew had an interest in Abydos, and he knew they couldn't keep that 'gate open, not without endangering everyone on the planet. The safest thing for the Abydonian people to do would be to keep their 'gate closed for good. If Daniel went back, it would be to stay.

Their 'kid brother,' Harriman said. To Carter, maybe he was--a tagalong younger sibling with similar interests and intellectually close to some of the adult scientists at the SGC. Half of them no longer even thought anything of the sight of him in one of the labs, scribbling notes or discussing something with scientists who gave his words serious weight. And no matter how much Daniel rolled his eyes and said he wasn't trying to be a Jaffa, there was no doubt Teal'c was a teacher to him as well as the friend to whom he confided nightmares he wouldn't share with anyone else. As for Jack...

Jack didn't know what he was to Daniel, or vice versa. Maybe labels weren't important; Daniel always said while translating texts that one-word descriptions of things were often too simplistic. All Jack knew for certain was that he'd gladly keep Daniel in whatever way was possible, and that they'd be sorry to see him go.

"Jack?" Daniel said.

"Yeah?" A few seconds passed in silence. "What is it?"

"I just...wanted to say that it's...I know you still miss your family, too." Daniel was staring hard at the dashboard. "You've helped me a lot, with everything. I don't know if there's something I can do, but if there is, ever..."

For a while, he didn't answer, and Daniel didn't push him. Eventually, Jack dared, "My wife--Sara--she would've loved you, kid. And you would've liked Charlie. Would've been a good older"-- _brother_ \--"...you know, friend to him. Wish you could've met."

There was a long silence. Jack suspected that Daniel understood; he understood more than a lot of people realized. Tentatively, the reply came, "I'd love to hear about them, if...if you want."

Jack reached over to Daniel's shoulder. "I'd like to tell you about them, too," he said roughly, surprised to realize it was true. "Tell you what. We've got a couple more days off. We'll take the rest of tonight for ourselves, and tomorrow...tomorrow I'll tell you what they were like."

Daniel looked down at his lap. "My parents talked of you often," he said, as if to reciprocate. "They always said a lot of good things about you."

There wasn't much he could say to that, so Jack gave Daniel's arm a final squeeze and then concentrated on driving. "Merry Christmas. I'll always remember, too."


	14. The Other

**_2 February 1998; SGC, Earth, 0800 hrs_ **

" _Kal shak!_ Enough."

Daniel shook his head, not moving his _bashaak_ from the guard position. "I can do it, Teal'c," he panted. "Just let me try again."

" _Ar'ee kree_ , _chal'ti_!" Teal'c barked, expertly spinning his own staff and planting it upright on the mat for emphasis.

Gritting his teeth, Daniel obeyed and dropped his guard. " _Kel sha, Tek'ma'tae._ "

"Lay down your weapon and begin your exercises. We will go no further today."

With a scowl of frustration, he lay the staff down on the mat and obediently stripped off his protective padding to stretch before his muscles stiffened. Jaffa were used to their symbiotes' fixing the worst aches and bruises; he had needed Sam to show him a proper warm-up and stretching routine for humans. Jack had taken that opportunity to explain to Teal'c that human bodies couldn't take as much pummeling as Jaffa bodies could, not without a much longer recovery time.

Teal'c picked up both of the sticks they were using as _bashaak_ and leaned them against the corner. "You must learn to commit more fully," he instructed, turning back to watch Daniel. "You know these movements. You executed that very maneuver flawlessly in practice, but you hesitate when you face an opponent."

"It's not the opponent that bothers me," he answered, shaking out aching arms; "it's not knowing what you're going to do next."

"You can never know what your enemy will do. You cannot hesitate in anticipation that your opponent will strike back."

"Then how can I have enough time to stop and counter in case you _do_ strike back?"

"You must not neglect your present action in order to attempt to think two moves ahead," Teal'c told him. "You must fight expecting to hit me."

Thinking of the whirl of motion that Teal'c's staff was when he wasn't holding back, Daniel said, "What if I _don't_ actually expect to hit you?"

"Then you will never do so." Daniel grimaced but said nothing. "When you first began learning _lok'nel_ , empty-handed," Teal'c continued, "you experienced the same problems, but that is no longer the case. You have learned to commit to an action."

"That's because now I can see when you're about to counterattack," Daniel said. "But with the _bashaak_...it's so fast for its range. I can't see it in time. It takes more time to recover when I'm trying to hold onto the staff, too."

"That will come with practice, Daniel Jackson. You must learn which of your opponent's movements betray his intentions. In time, your strength and control will increase and allow you to guide your _bashaak_ as if it were part of your own arm."

"I suppose," he sighed. Sometimes he wished he had a symbiote that could heal away injuries, too, just so he could push further and faster in these training sessions--he could tell the pace seemed slow to Teal'c. Then he remembered that that would have meant being dependent on a larval Goa'uld in his body, and he quickly stopped wishing it. "I keep trying to stay back so I don't get caught in too close," he explained. There was a dangerous zone where he was close enough for Teal'c to hit but too far for his own, shorter reach to counter.

"Maintaining proper distance is indeed essential," Teal'c said, "but you must learn how to close the distance during your attack."

Daniel mulled over that. "What if I get so close that _you_ can't use your staff?" he suggested.

"If you do, I will likely overpower you with no need of any weapon," Teal'c said bluntly. "For such a tactic to be successful, you must either have surprise on your side or be quicker or stronger than your opponent. You, _chal'ti_ , would be wise not to engage an opponent in such close quarters until you can claim to be his match in strength or skill."

"So," he summarized wryly, "I probably shouldn't try it against you, huh."

"On the contrary, you should do so. It would serve you well to know the consequences of every possible maneuver."

The consequences of using that maneuver on Teal'c would, no doubt, end with Daniel on the floor. Pushing himself to his feet, he said, "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

Looking him up and down with a critical eye, Teal'c added, "It may be unwise to rely too heavily on this approach. You will continue to grow taller, Daniel Jackson?"

"I hope so," Daniel answered wryly, but, realizing that Teal'c might not have paid close enough attention to human slaves to be sure of their growth patterns, explained, "We normally grow taller for...uh, at least a few years after my current age."

"Then you may soon have equal or greater reach among human warriors," Teal'c told him. "Then distance would indeed become an advantage for you."

"And among Jaffa, I won't ever want to get into a test of strength," he said. "So don't get caught too close unawares, I guess." More formally, he bowed and said formulaically, "Thank you for the lesson. _Tai'ya teal'c ya daru_."

" _Ta'i_ _, chal'ti_. You are learning well," Teal'c allowed.

Daniel bit back the _'it doesn't feel like I am,'_ because it sounded like whining even in his head. Instead, he turned his thoughts away from sparring and back to one of SG-1's missions from nearly two months ago. "Teal'c, have you ever heard of a Goa'uld named Belus?"

"I have not," Teal'c told him. "Where have you heard that name?"

"Not heard-- _read_. You remember the planet you went to...what was it...uh, P3X-8...66, I think."

"Indeed. We found only water and sands."

"Not quite," Daniel reminded him. "There was that rock with cuneiform writing on it. Robert and I have been putting it off, because it didn't seem to say anything that most people were interested in"--like information about weapons or technology--"but we've finally finished a rough draft of it. There was definitely a Goa'uld there who called himself Belus, but apparently the people there rebelled, and he was forced to go...somewhere else. It didn't say where."

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow. "Successful uprisings against a Goa'uld are uncommon."

"The only ones I know of were against Ra--here and on Abydos," Daniel agreed, "but it stands to reason that there might have been others. History is full of rebellions against a ruler the people didn't want. The information we have is incomplete, though; it's as if it's missing the ending. Like someone recorded the beginning of the story but didn't know what happened next. And there are no people there--why wouldn't there be, if they successfully threw off the Goa'uld?"

"Perhaps their efforts devastated them, and they were unable to survive the aftermath," Teal'c suggested.

"A whole race of people?" Daniel said, unconvinced, then grimaced. "I suppose that's not impossible." Depressing, but he wouldn't put much past the Goa'uld. "I was thinking that maybe they had some way of defeating Belus that could help us. Or, we--I mean, you or other SG teams--could go back to find the people and talk to them or ask them for help."

Teal'c considered for a moment, then said, "I do not believe such a mission would be approved."

"Wha... Why not? Think of how much we could learn!"

"We would be unlikely to find survivors of that race. On the previous journey to P3X-866, we were unable to find anything with the exception of that rock during the fourteen hours spent there. Further search would be impractical and would likely prove futile."

"If there's no one there, then who wrote all that?"

"As you have already stated, the text is incomplete. It is likely that the beings were unable to finish writing."

"But..." Daniel wrinkled his nose in disappointment but conceded, "Okay. You're probably right. Still, someone must have been there at some point--someone advanced enough or strong enough to drive off a Goa'uld. Aren't you curious at all to know who they were? Or _what_ they were? Or, you know, what they were like?"

"It is unlikely that they would be able to help us," Teal'c said in answer.

"But even so, it's still fascinating, isn't it? Even if there isn't any strategic advantage..." Daniel trailed off, then sighed in resignation. "So you don't think the general would agree."

"I do not."

It would have been nice for the teams to go somewhere once in a while, just to learn, and stop worrying solely about weapons or things they could bring back to Earth in trade. SG-7 was on a planet called Hanka now, studying astronomy, but aside from that, few of the teams bothered to think twice about a planet if there wasn't some material gain.

But, with P3X-866...someone had once lived on a planet so far away that Daniel couldn't even fathom it and somehow wrote the same way that some of the earliest writers on Earth had...

Daniel stopped. Teal'c continued for two steps before noticing and turning back with a raised eyebrow. "They came to _Earth_ ," he realized. "I'll bet you they did. Why else would there be so much language similarity? There has to be some connection. We know people went from P3X-866 to somewhere else, but we didn't know where, so..." He bit his lip, thinking. "Robert said...Akkadian cuneiform. So, Assyria or Babylonia, maybe. They could be _here_ , on Earth!"

When he saw Teal'c watching him curiously, he waved his friend ahead. "Thanks, Teal'c. I need to ask Robert something. _Lek tol_!" Setting off toward a quick shower, he wracked his brain for the names from the text that had seemed important to him, repeating them in his head so he wouldn't forget. _Belus. Kel. Omoroca. Ohnnes. Oannes.._

Once in his normal day clothes, he nearly bumped (literally) into Jack on the way to the office, just barely avoiding a collision by ducking quickly aside, still reciting under his breath to himself, " _...Omoroca..._ Sorry, Jack."

"You're still going on about Omoroc-whatever?"

Daniel paused with a finger on the elevator button. "When was I before?"

Jack stared at him. "Never mind. Something important?"

"Maybe, hopefully," he answered absently as he stepped into the elevator, "but I need to ask about...or more likely look it up, because Robert and I don't usually..." The doors began to slide closed, so he called, "Good morning!" through them at a bemused-looking Jack.

When he reached the archaeology department, he rushed in and bypassed Robert, who had apparently just arrived himself, proceeding to the bookshelf behind the desk and grabbing the folder where they'd put papers relating to the P3X-866 text. "Robert, I just thought of something, but I don't know enough of the history...here, here, look at this..."

"Um," Robert said. "Hel...lo?"

Taking a deep breath, Daniel put the folder down and turned sheepishly. "Hi. Good morning. Just...I think we might...I mean...okay. Look. We've been assuming all traces of Goa'uld on Earth would be in Giza, right, because that was where the Stargate was found, but since this is the planet of the Tau'ri, the first humans to be taken as hosts, there must have been other Goa'uld besides Ra who were here at some point."

"Sure..."

"And I think at least one of them brought cuneiform writing to Earth. Or brought people who brought cuneiform...you know."

Robert looked down and saw which folder Daniel had taken down. "Belus. You think--"

"Yes, Belus. And if that's right, then there might be something in our history of...of Babylon or wherever that could tell us how they defeated him, or who they were, or...something."

"Do we know for sure he was defeated again in Babylon?" Robert said.

"I think we would have noticed if a Goa'uld were still ruling there."

"Yeah, dumb question. Right, well, our knowledge of Babylonian history is full of holes," Robert explained, but he was already standing and scanning his shelf for references. "If Belus came from P3X-866, it could have been anytime before the Giza rebellion against Ra. That's a lot of history to cover."

"The Goa'uld posed as gods," Daniel pointed out. "We don't need concrete history--we're looking for mythology, stories that have been passed down, legendary wars... But I know very little about their mythology, which is why I wanted to ask you--"

"Already there," Robert told him, pulling down a book. "I didn't realize I'd be dealing with Mesopotamia, so... Here, you look through this; I'll go see if anyone else here has more references that'll help us. You can try an online search, too, for...uh...?"

"Belus," Daniel suggested, pulling out his glasses. "It mentions someone named Kel, too--actually that might be a Goa'uld interrogatory and not a name. Uh...maybe 'Omoroca.'"

...x...

"Dead end," Robert announced once they'd compiled their information.

" _Not_ a dead end," Daniel protested.

Robert shook his head. "Belus went to Babylon pursued by a bunch of people called 'Ohnnes' from a planet named after Oannes. They tried to fight him and failed. Their leader Tiamat--Omoroca--was killed. Whatever they did, it didn't work."

"But don't you see, it _did_ work," Daniel said excitedly. "Belus doesn't rule there anymore. He must have been defeated, if not by the Ohnnes, then by the Tau'ri there after their defeat. Tau'ri mythology identifies Omoroca as a sort of serpent or dragon, a monster of chaos who was also essential in the creation of the world. They raised her to the level of a deity; she must have done _something_ important. Maybe this is what started it all, the...the opposition to the Goa'uld on Earth! We owe the Ohnnes...our lives, our _freedom_."

"Possibly," Robert agreed, sitting back. "But what do you want to do about it? They didn't have some miraculously successful ability or strategy that we can replicate. They came, they _didn't_ win, and the bad guy was forced out the old-fashioned way by humans--probably with, like, swords and spears. End of story."

Slumping back in his own chair, Daniel raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I really thought there was something there."

Robert didn't look annoyed at the waste of time; instead, he offered, "It was a good idea. I never would've thought of it, and that's the kind of thinking we're going to need."

Not ready to give up quite yet, Daniel tried, "What about... The Tau'ri legends of Oannes say he was half-fish. Maybe they didn't find anything on P3X-866 because everyone was living underwater. There _was_ an ocean there."

"Daniel, I'm all for looking to mythology, but _you_ can be the one to tell Hammond to get out the SCUBA gear so we can look for mermaids."

Daniel could imagine General Hammond's reaction to that. "That does sound stupid," he conceded, flipping the book shut and rising to replace it on the shelf. "What was I thinking."

" _But_ ," Robert said, "this did bring up an important point. Other Goa'uld have been here at various points in our history. We've been concentrating on Ra, as far as Earth is concerned, and looking for other Goa'uld only off-world."

"You think they should send out a search team looking for Goa'uld on Earth?" Daniel asked dubiously.

"No, no. Whatever traces there are on Earth will more likely be hidden among our history and archaeological findings. So, artifacts, papers."

Daniel laughed uncertainly. "That's a lot to dig through."

"But we're looking for specific _kinds_ of findings: the kind no one could explain. And..." Robert hesitated. "If we want a good place to start...well, your parents' work kicked this program off."

"Oh. _Oh_." Somehow, even knowing his parents had been archaeologists who'd lived and worked for years on Earth, he'd never thought to search for the papers they must have published. With a lurch, he realized he could have had access to them--for an official reason, for research, even--for months and never even looked. "Wha--um. Okay," he said, hoping he sounded casual. "So how do I..."

"Their work is all in older journals, obviously--before 1982. I think the best way to start... I've got copies of some of Melburn Jackson's papers, and I can find out what else he's written, maybe see which other archaeologists took an interest in him and tried to publish similar results."

"You have copies of my father's work?" Daniel said, confused.

"I used to try pushing some unconventional theories similar to...your father's," Robert said. He shuffled papers around on his desk, not looking at Daniel, but his voice had taken on an uncomfortable note. "I've read practically everything he ever wrote and some of Claire Ballard's later work, too, after she began working on archaeological digs in Egypt. They were the basis of some of my...less well-received ideas in grad school."

Daniel blinked. "Claire... _Ballard_?"

"Yeah, isn't that--she published mostly under that name, though some later papers listed her as Ballard-Jackson." Robert looked uncertainly at him. "You, uh...you did know that was her name?"

No one thought about second names all that much on Abydos, much less changing a name after marriage, but of course, of _course_ her family name would have been different. Why hadn't he ever thought about it before? A little stunned and more than a little ashamed--because what kind of son didn't know his mother's full name?--Daniel shook his head. "It was always just Claire. Or Claire Jackson. She never used anything else on Abydos, and she never said."

"Uh, yeah. Well, um...Ballard's a well-known name in archaeology, too," Robert told him awkwardly. "There was a Nicolas Ballard, before my time, working in Central America, I think, or somewhere around there. Who knows, maybe you're, you know, related to him."

"Mm," Daniel hummed absently. _Ballard_. Hadn't Colonel Maybourne mentioned that his mother was following in her father's footsteps? "I suppose I should read some of their work," he said, thinking he could at least look up Nicolas Ballard the next time he was at a computer.

"Yeah--oh, I should've had you start reading from academic journals before now," Robert agreed, sounding relieved, happier now that there was something objective to do. "It's important to learn the jargon--and then you can see the kind of research this program was started on. I'll help you dig up some of their stuff, but first I have to go look at the artifact SG-8 brought back yesterday."

"What artifact? Do you need help?"

"Honestly, I think it's decorative. Jewelry or something. The craftsmanship looks pretty primitive. Not a big deal for the SGC's goals, but they want me to go check it out to make sure. Did you finish that translation SG-2 wanted?"

"Yes, yesterday. It was an offer for negotiations for that medicine-plant-thing they found. I already gave a copy to the general, and I'll give one to Majors Kovachek and Ferretti, too."

"Oh. Well, that's it for our active projects, then," Robert said. "Want to come with me to the lab?"

"Actually," Daniel said, "can I use your computer? I'd like to look up a few things."

Robert waved him toward the keyboard as he left the office. "Password's in the drawer."

"Robert, you're not supposed to keep it in your drawer," Daniel called after him, even as he opened the drawer to look at the password. "Even _I_ know that! That...that defeats the entire purpose of--"

"Yeah, whatever," Robert called back. "Like someone's gonna come in here and steal my C-14 calibration charts."

With a shrug, Daniel sat and searched for 'Melburn Jackson' first before trying to decide which name his mother would have used. He braced himself, knowing full well that very few people respected his parents' most recent theories or took them seriously. Still, he'd never expected the first article he found to say:

_ "Mexico: Archaeologists Murdered in Egyptian Burial Vault" _

His first thought was that there was no reason for an Egyptian burial vault to be in Mexico. His second was that there was no reason why he should have found this while searching for his father's name, but that the chances of another archaeologist studying something Egyptian to be named Melburn Jackson were too slim to ignore.

Clicking on the link, he skimmed the article until his eyes caught on the name and backtracked to read:

_"... colleagues of Dr. Kleinhouse who were away from the site at the time of the murder have expressed confusion about the finding, noting the peculiarity of finding an empty Egyptian coffin in such an unexpected region of the world._

_"While authorities suspect this was a sign that the site was previously tampered with, perhaps by the same crypt robbers who killed the two researchers, the incident has prompted tongue-in-cheek rumors of a connection to claims made over a decade ago by the renowned husband-and-wife archaeological team of Melburn and Claire Jackson. The late Drs. Jackson's' wild theories concerning cross-pollination between ancient cultures have, however, been discounted by..."_

An Egyptian coffin--a sarcophagus, like the one Ra had? If it had belonged to a Goa'uld, it would explain the murders...

He skimmed further down until he found:

_"...coffin was to be taken back by the surviving scientists for further study. However, it was confiscated by American federal agents as part of an ongoing investigation."_

There was a picture below, taken by one of the researchers before it had been taken away. It definitely looked like a sarcophagus of some sort to Daniel, but he'd never seen Ra's and had no way to know if this was the same. Except...

He leaned in closer to the screen and squinted through his glasses. There was a pictograph on the sarcophagus, and he could just barely make it out from the photo...

It wasn't Ra's symbol. The sarcophagus belonged to someone else.

And it was empty.

Thinking quickly, he printed the article, grabbed the pages and hurried to the elevator toward Jack's office.

Five minutes later, he remembered that that was a stupid place to look--Jack only really went to his office when he was hiding from someone--and ran away from the empty room. He made his way to the commissary, where he finally spotted Jack eating with Major Ferretti.

"Jack!" he called, then lowered his voice as a few heads nearby turned at the sound. "I have...I have to show you--there's--"

"Whoa, Jackson," Ferretti said, sounding amused as he skidded to a stop at their table.

"Very polite, Daniel," Jack remarked.

"Sorry, sorry, Jack, Major," Daniel said quickly, then immediately continued, "Jack, there was this--this--just take a look at--"

"Is this about the...whatever you were so excited about this morning, Daniel?"

"N--what?" It took him a second to remember he'd been thinking about Belus that morning, and he shook his head, "No, no, not the Oannes text. I mean, I found it because of that, kind of, because...it's a long story, not important. But _listen_ , Jack: I really, really think a Goa'uld just got...let out. Released."

"Yeah?" Jack said, picking at something in his food. "Where?"

"In Mexico," Daniel said.

Jack put down his fork and straightened so fast his chair rocked back a bit. "Mexico, on _Earth_?"

"Yes." Daniel thrust the article toward Jack. "Four days ago, someone named Dr. Kleinhouse found something in a burial vault and was killed soon after. Do you recognize that picture?"

"Crap." Jack stood and yanked the paper out of his hand to stare at it.

Ferretti stood up, too, looking concerned now. "Sir?"

"Ra's sarcophagus. How the hell--we blew that up with a...a nuclear warhead! No way it could've survived and...what, landed in Mexico? What the--"

"It's not the same one," Daniel said.

"How would you know? You never saw it."

"There, see," he answered, pointing at a tiny pictograph on the side. "Abydons remember Ra's mark, and it's not that. That's the headdress of Hathor. If you don't believe me, ask Robert--I'm sure he would say the same." When Jack raised his eyebrows, he clarified, "Hathor was very important among the Egyptian gods and goddesses, and--"

"Yeah, okay, got the picture. Goa'uld, Egyptian god, yadda."

"There's something else," Daniel said. "Someone, uh...confiscated the sarcophagus for a federal investigation. _I_ didn't notice someone bringing a sarcophagus to the SGC, so..."

"Crap," Jack said again. "The general needs to know about this. Ferretti, get Dr. Rothman and bring him to meet us at the briefing room."

"He's in the lab on 21st," Daniel said, starting to turn away. "I can go and--"

"No, you're with me, I need you to explain," Jack told him. "Ferretti?"

"On it, sir," Ferretti said, and hurried out of the mess.

In the elevator, Jack read through the article more slowly. "Where'd you get this?"

"I...found it online. By accident," Daniel said. "Jack, what federal agencies other than us would care about a Goa'uld sarcophagus?"

"You need to ask?" Jack said.

Daniel grimaced. "NID?"

"Someone at Area 51. I don't know who else even knows about this stuff. And, ah...for the record," he added, "I didn't tell Ferretti to call Rothman because I don't believe you."

"He's the expert on Egypt," Daniel said evenly without looking at Jack.

General Hammond was, fortunately, in his office when they arrived. Jack barely stopped to knock before he was waved inside. "Colonel," the general greeted. Spotting Daniel trotting a step behind, he asked, "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"We've got a Goa'uld somewhere on Earth, sir," Jack said without delay, handing the printed article to him.

The general glanced at it, then looked back up. "What is this?"

"I know that sarcophagus," Jack said with certainty, pointing. "It's exactly like the one Ra had on his ship."

"Except--" Daniel started, then stopped when both men looked at him. Jack gave him a nod, and he continued. "Except not exactly. We--well, _I_ think it belongs to a different Goa'uld: Hathor. If it was Goa'uld in origin, it would explain how an Egyptian sarcophagus with Egyptian hieroglyphs ended up in a closed Mayan temple in Mexico."

"And it would explain how the two people died," Jack added. "We think Ra stayed alive partly by taking naps in his sarcophagus. Hathor was probably preserved in that one, there. Then two archaeologists open it and release him, and he jumps them."

"She, Jack," Daniel corrected. "Hathor was the daughter of Ra. Very powerful. Mother of all the pharaohs, supposedly."

Jack glared at him, as if this were his fault. "Well, that's just great." Daniel shrugged helplessly.

General Hammond was frowning. "How did you find out about this, Colonel?"

Jack pointed at Daniel, who repeated, "I found it by accident, looking up...unrelated information."

"I'd like to have Dr. Rothman--"

"Colonel O'Neill? General Hammond?" Major Ferretti's voice called from the entrance to the briefing room.

Jack glanced at Daniel, who nodded and stepped partway out of the office to show them where they were. "Way ahead of you, sir," Jack told the general. "Ferretti's got Rothman with him." Ferretti and Robert came toward the office, with Sam behind them. Jack nodded approvingly. "And Carter, too, apparently."

"I hope you don't mind, sir," she said. "I was in the lab with Dr. Rothman and heard about a Goa'uld?"

"General, what's going on?" Robert asked.

"Take a look at this picture," the general said, turning it to face him. "What does it look like to you?"

"It's...a sarcophagus of some kind--a coffin. Probably Egyptian, but I'd have to know more to say anything about it."

"Do you recognize any of the symbols?"

Robert blinked and bent his head closer, so that his nose almost touched the paper. "Not really. The writing's too small to make out...wait, wait. There's one that's bigger--it could be a symbol for Hathor, the goddess of fertility and...well, goddess of lots of other things. The wife of Ra."

"Wife?" Jack asked, saying to Daniel, "I thought she was his daughter."

"That too," Robert confirmed. Jack made a face. "It kind of depends on the version of the myth. But why are you...what is this thing? And _where_ is it? '...Confiscated by...' Did someone bring it to the SGC? Why wasn't I told about a giant coffin with Egyptian..."

"It wasn't us," General Hammond said grimly, reaching for his telephone. "Everybody wait in the briefing room. I'll see what they have to say about this at Area 51."

Major Ferretti, Robert, and Sam still looked more than a little lost, but they obediently took seats around the table to wait. "Someone want to explain what's going on?" Robert asked, looking at Daniel. "What the heck were you looking up while I was gone?"

Daniel opened his mouth, but Jack beat him to it and summarized, "Goa'uld sleeps in sarcophagus. People open sarcophagus. Hathor gets out and kills them. NID takes sarcophagus."

"And we have no idea where this Goa'uld is now?" Ferretti asked.

"If she's been sealed in there for a long time," Sam mused, "she's going to be almost powerless. No Jaffa army, no ships, nothing."

"So, no, we have no idea where she is, or whether she's even still in Mexico," Jack summarized.

Robert was reading over the article. His eyes stopped and flicked up toward Daniel, who flushed slightly, wondering if the man knew what he'd been looking for it when he'd found it. Then Robert rubbed his forehead, saying, "I swear, Daniel, I leave you alone for _five minutes_..." Jack snorted.

"I wasn't trying to find it," Daniel defended. "But it's a good thing I did, yes?"

"Excuses," Jack said. "So...Hathor. Another snakehead, huh."

"Actually," Robert corrected, "she was more often associated with the cow."

Ferretti laughed, and Jack repeated, "The cow? Did she moo those archaeologists to death?"

"She was also represented as a bloodthirsty lioness."

"Of course she was," Jack sighed.

A minute later, Sam was drumming her fingers against the arm of her chair, glancing occasionally at the closed door to the general's office. Ferretti was leaning back in his chair and slowly turning in it from side to side. Daniel tried to strain his ears to hear the general's conversation without making it obvious that he was trying to listen in. Apparently, he wasn't successful, because Jack assured him, "It's soundproof, kid." Daniel scowled.

Finally, they stood as General Hammond opened the door. "I can't get through," he told them.

"You can't get through? To Area 51, sir?" Jack said incredulously.

Sam was looking just as dumbstruck. "You can't be saying _no one_ is there."

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Captain," the general informed her, "or, at least, no one in the Stargate Research sections is answering the phone. I tried several times, and people in Washington are about to start trying, too."

"That's impossible, sir. That's one of the most high-security facilities in the world--I can't even imagine what it would take for the entire facility to shut down. Unless..." She trailed off, but Daniel's imagination filled in the unfinished sentence with images of long, emptied corridors--or, worse, corridors filled with people dead or completely incapacitated.

"That _'unless,'_ Captain, is what I'm afraid of," the general said grimly.

"What about the other sections, sir?" she said.

"In light of recent developments, that sarcophagus and the Goa'uld Hathor _could_ be the cause of whatever's happened there. The secrecy of the Stargate program aside, this could be extremely dangerous, and we don't know which move might worsen the situation."

Daniel looked up at Jack, whose face had taken on the hard, alert expression he wore in crises. "Sir, recommend sending a team to check it out."

"I agree. We just--" the general started

"Sir," an airman interrupted them from the staircase. "There's an urgent call for you."

"Star-6-9?" Jack said sardonically. Daniel looked around surreptitiously; the others' reactions said it was a joke of some sort.

"I'll take it in here," General Hammond said, already walking toward the phone in the corner. Daniel didn't bother trying to pretend he wasn't listening in this time. The general opened his mouth to answer, but apparently someone on the other end was already talking. "Who is this?" he demanded. "What's your situation there?" There was a short pause, and then, "You'll have to clarify that. What do you mean..." He was cut off again, then turned to face them, taken aback. Finally, after an eternity of seconds, he said, "Stay calm, ma'am. We'll get this straightened out."

"General?" Ferretti asked.

"That was a Christina Vedenshop at Area 51," the general announced gravely. Daniel leaned forward, remembering the nurse from his own visit there. "It appears that they are being held against their will by the men who work there. Specifically, only and all of the men."

Jack raised his eyebrows and exchanged a startled glance with Daniel. "You're talking a mass revolt?"

"Wait, all the...men?" Sam asked, confused. "As in, not the women?"

"That's what she said--with one exception," the general said. He shook his head. "There is a woman calling herself Queen Hathor who tried to break in two days ago and now seems to be leading the...takeover. The woman who called just now noted that Hathor has a distinctive, distorted voice."

"Sounds...like a classic Goa'uld?" Ferretti said, though his tone made it seem like a question.

"What the hell," Jack muttered.

"And the women, sir?" Sam asked. "What's their situation?"

"They have been imprisoned, for the most part, but a group of them at first tried to engage Hathor and were killed by their own men, who outnumber them quite a bit and appear to be guarding Hathor. Vedenshop says she was locked in the infirmary, where the initial attack took place, although more women have been thrown in with her over the past two days. She hid her mobile phone away in the infirmary while Hathor was establishing control over the rest of the facility, so it wasn't taken away when she was searched. Some of the guards left to check security when the phones rang repeatedly just now, and she decided to hide and try calling."

"She has a direct line to here, sir?" Jack asked skeptically.

"People within the facility do, yes, in emergencies," General Hammond said. "The researchers in certain parts of Area 51 were given this number in urgent situations."

"I don't know, sir," Jack said, still looking unconvinced. "This is a crazy story. And I mean _crazy_. And even if it's true, this woman just happens to be there when Hathor makes her first move?"

"It's possible," Daniel spoke up, with a nervous glance at the general. When no one stopped him, he continued, "The first thing they would have done when they found Hathor, especially if they suspected she was a Goa'uld, is to have her tested, like they did with me when I was there."

"Blood naquadah concentration, imaging of the Goa'uld symbiote," Sam suggested.

"Right, well," Daniel said, "Vedenshop is a nurse in the infirmary and helps run tests for the people researching Goa'uld technology. It makes sense that she would be there from the start and be the one to contact us."

"Still," Ferretti scoffed, "c'mon, Jackson, this is insane! All the men following Hathor's orders, all the women imprisoned...being Goa'uld doesn't give you magic powers." He paused. "I think. It doesn't, right?"

"But sufficiently advanced technology..." Sam said.

Apparently understanding her meaning, General Hammond nodded, then strode quickly to the airman standing outside the briefing room, ordering, "Find Teal'c and have him come here immediately."

Robert offered, "Well, it makes a kind of sense that Hathor affects men and women differently. She was the goddess of fertility, joy, inebriation, among other traits. She was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in history and was identified with various sex goddesses from cultures all around the world--Aphrodite, Venus, Ishtar..."

Ferretti shook his head and interrupted, "I don't care how shallow a man is, Doc, shit like this doesn't happen."

"Just like stepping into a wormhole to go halfway across the galaxy doesn't happen?" Daniel countered. No one told him to stay quiet, so he continued more boldly, "The stories say that Hathor could control men with her beauty and seduce them into doing literally anything for her. Like they were...uh, inebriated."

"And you think there's some device that can do that _specifically_ to men?"

Sam suggested, "A chemical or biological agent. Like...what do you call it, pheromones, maybe something that enhances suggestibility, too." She considered, then shrugged and said, "I'm no expert, sir, but it could be possible. Dr. Frasier might have a better idea."

Teal'c came up the staircase. "General Hammond."

"Teal'c," the general said, "we have a situation at Area 51 with a Goa'uld named Hathor." He quickly explained what they knew, then asked, "Have you ever heard of anything like this?"

"The Jaffa who are able to observe the Goa'uld closely have long suspected that some of them have methods to ensure submission in their slaves," Teal'c replied. "There are Goa'uld compounds that can force humans to be entirely obedient."

"Then we have to assume that the nurse was telling the truth," the general said. "Do you have any idea of what Hathor might be planning?"

"If Hathor no longer has an army to command," Teal'c said, "she will attempt to create Jaffa warriors from those available to her."

"What, turning _humans_ into Jaffa?" Jack asked, looking disgusted. "Can she do that?"

"She can indeed, with access to the proper devices."

"But they'd die without larval Goa'uld," Sam pointed out.

Teal'c tilted his head, considering, then said, "Jaffa legend states that the original Goa'uld larvae come from queen Goa'ulds."

_Queen Hathor_ , Daniel thought. "And you think Hathor's one of them," he said. "She _was_ a fertility goddess. Maybe she..." He felt his cheeks redden, but speaking about such things around women wasn't taboo on Earth--at least, not on base when it was pertinent to security. "...she can give birth to larval Goa'uld?"

Teal'c inclined his head, then turned to the general. "If I am correct, Area 51 will become her nest. From there, she will populate your world with new Goa'uld. I cannot permit this to happen. General Hammond, _we_ cannot permit this to happen."

"General," Jack said, "I recommend again that we send a team to take care of Hathor."

"SG-2 can be ready on your word," Ferretti added.

"Agreed," the general said.

Daniel panicked and blurted, "No, no, wait, you can't, Jack! None of the men can; the same thing will happen to them, and they'll just end up as more slaves for Hathor."

"We don't have another choice, Daniel," Jack snapped, but Sam cut him off.

"Yes, sir, actually we do. If we send a team of women, we can get into the facility and neutralize Hathor without being compromised."

Jack looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "We're not gonna--"

"With all due respect, Colonel, if we're right, the men would literally be worse than useless. We _have_ to do something, and we have to act fast." Sam turned determinedly. "General, permission to assemble combat-ready female personnel to retake Area 51?"

Teal'c added, "I will go as well. My symbiote will protect me from Hathor's methods."

"You're certain about that?"

He paused briefly. "Relatively certain."

Sam hesitated, then said, "It would be a big help, especially getting in and moving through the facility, since they won't expect any men to be unaffected. We can try to recruit some of the women there to help, as well, if we can find and free them. General?"

The general's gaze moved from her face to Jack's frustration and Ferretti's indignant resignation. He sighed, then reluctantly said, "Permission granted, Captain. Good luck."

XXXXX

**_2 February 1998; SGC, Earth, 1300 hrs_ **

Daniel didn't think he'd ever had a less productive afternoon. Logically, it had probably only felt that way because he was waiting for news, but still.

He'd stayed in the room until after Sam's quickly assembled team had been briefed and had left for Peterson AFB with Teal'c, every available and willing woman on base, and even Janet among them. The doctor had insisted on going, since they knew of several deaths already, and no one could expect that they'd resolve this in all one piece. Besides, she'd pointed out, they had few enough women to work with. They'd need everyone they had, and Janet had done BCT at one point; she at least knew how to use Tau'ri weaponry, even if she rarely trained with them.

Once they were gone, agreeing to stay in contact by occasional phone checks, Daniel lingered a few more minutes but eventually went back to the archaeology office.

It was a rare day when he and Robert had nothing at all that they needed to work on, since the two of them together covered more cultures and more common languages than anyone else in the department, but he couldn't concentrate enough to make use of the downtime, even to look up his parents or Nicolas Ballard.

Eventually, Daniel gave up after double-checking the translation he'd completed for SG-2. "Robert, do you need me for anything?" he asked, picking up one of the Egyptology books he'd never read before. "Do you mind if I take this to read downstairs after I hand in this translation?"

Robert glanced up. "Which book...is that Budge? Sure, if you really want to. I'd be...uh, interested to see what you think of it."

After checking that the briefing room was empty, Daniel took a seat at the table to read, using the occasional distant sound of a phone ringing in the control room as a sign that Sam and the others were still okay.

Jack wandered in from the control room when the clock read 1600. "Waiting?" he said. Daniel shrugged, peeking upward at him. Jack looked even more frustrated than he had before. "Dammit," he muttered. "They're outnumbered over there."

Not really knowing how to answer that and knowing next to nothing about tactics, Daniel tried, "Sam's good at what she does. And Teal'c's with them, too, and he's been doing this for decades."

"That's not the point! They're going in practically blind, and--" Jack started angrily, then seemed to realize who he was talking to and stopped, exhaling and walking closer. "Whatcha reading?" he said gruffly. He lifted the book to see the cover, then put it back down. "' _Egyptian Magic_ '? Learn anything new?"

Daniel flipped it closed in disgust. "Well, now I know why I've never read this before. My parents would never have brought such a biased, incomplete book with them to Abydos."

Jack huffed a short laugh and took a seat. "You were hoping to learn something about Hathor?"

"Yeah."

"So..." Jack said. "That article you found about the sarcophagus. You weren't looking for it, you said."

"We found definite evidence of another Goa'uld other than Ra who was on Earth and was also driven away by humans with the help of beings from P3X-866," he explained. "Robert thought we should look for unexplained archaeological findings to see if there were any others."

"Like your parents'?" Jack guessed. "They were mentioned in the Hathor article."

"I was looking up my father," Daniel said, then went on, a little defensively, "It was as good a starting point as any. The Stargate program wouldn't exist without his work--their work." Melburn Jackson and Claire _Ballard_ , apparently.

"Ah."

After picking at the binding of Budge's book for a few moments, he asked abruptly, "Jack, do you know what my mother's first name was? I mean...her first...family name."

He looked up to see Jack taken aback by the question. "We call it 'maiden name,'" he answered finally. "And I think it was Ballard. The name on her file is Ballard-Jackson."

Daniel stood and pushed his chair back in a little harder than necessary. "I can't believe I didn't know that. She labeled all her journals as Claire. And Jackson. We didn't use two names on Abydos, and I never even thought to ask... I found out from _Robert_ ," he told Jack bitterly. "Apparently, she went by Ballard on Earth. Everyone from you to college archaeology students to Colonel Maybourne knows more about her than I do."

"Maybourne?" Jack repeated.

"He said something about how her father was an archaeologist. My _grandfather_ , Jack! Robert even mentioned it. Some of the things Maybourne said...I could have looked them up any time, and..."

"Hey," Jack said sharply, "don't pay attention to Maybourne. And he and Rothman, and even me...don't think for a second we knew your parents better than you. A bunch of names and facts, which you can look up yourself now...that's it. You knew _who_ they were better than anyone, and no one's gonna take that away from you. But they had another very different life here on Earth, and while you're here, you're bound to find some new things once in a while."

Daniel exhaled and nodded, but he couldn't help thinking that, whatever Maybourne's motives, facts were still facts. His grandfather had been--and maybe still was--an archaeologist whose name his mother had stopped using when she left the planet. His parents had brought an eclectic collection of books that had little probable relevance to the original Abydos mission. Even Budge's arrogant prattling would have made more sense to take to Abydos than some of the books he'd read growing up.

He looked back down at _Egyptian Magic_ on the table. Well, perhaps not.

"There's nothing useful on Hathor in here," he said, reclaiming his seat with a sigh and pulling his attention back to the current issue. "She's only given a few pages, and it's implied that everything they believed about her power was nothing more than primitive superstition. Which, given the current situation..." He looked warily at Jack. "But...I still think we were right about the men not going."

Jack pushed out of his chair now, pacing with his hands jammed into his pockets. "I'm stuck here doing nothing while the rest of my team tries to mount a siege on one of the most well-protected facilities in the nation," he said tightly. "Not even a siege, since that makes it sound like we sent enough people to do any good from the outside."

Daniel winced but said, "I'm not sorry for telling the general not to let you go."

"Do you realize how--" Jack turned to glare at him, then suddenly cut himself off again and rubbed a hand over his face. "It was lucky we found out about it now and not after the queen hatches her eggs," he said neutrally instead. "Or however Goa'uld get born."

"Jack, you don't have to change the subject every time you mention what's happening there," Daniel said. "It's not like I don't know they're in danger."

"You did good today, kid," Jack said flatly, "but there are limits to what it's appropriate for me to talk about with you."

Daniel clenched his hands into fists under the table. "I can hear the control room telephone ringing from here, Jack, and I'm not stupid. I know as well as you that Sam's been calling with updates every quarter hour until she stopped"--he checked the clock--"almost seventy-five minutes ago."

He looked up, considering Daniel. "That why you're sitting here? So you can hear the control room?"

"They're my friends, too," he said in answer. "And I'd also like to know if this world is going to be overrun with newborn Goa'uld larvae."

Jack gave him a long look, then leaned against the wall. "When the last call came, they were about to arrive at Area 51," he finally offered. "Getting in--even getting near--might be tricky, so we're not expecting another call until they've neutralized Hathor. So now, we wait."

...x...

The call came at 1930. Anxiously awaiting news, no one paid attention to Daniel when he snuck into the control room to listen.

_"...secure. Hathor was stopped as she attempted to escape with her Jaffa,"_ Sam's voice came through. Daniel let out a relieved breath and felt the entire room relax.

"What's the condition of the personnel, Captain?" General Hammond asked.

_"We're in the process of letting people out of their cells, sir. Most are fine. The men appear to be gradually returning to normal. We count twenty-six people in total who were killed in the days before we arrived. Four were killed and several more sustained minor injuries during our assault; everyone is now being treated by Dr. Frasier and other medical personnel here. The directors are working on what to tell those who didn't know about the Goa'uld before now, as well as people in other areas of the facility."_

Twenty-six--no, thirty people dead. Daniel bit his lip.

"But Hathor is dead?" the general said.

_"Yes, sir; unfortunately, we were unable to avoid killing the four men she'd turned into Jaffa. They had already been implanted with Goa'uld and were too strong, physically, for us to capture them without harming them. All were military personnel--I recognized one as Colonel Harold Maybourne, but I haven't gotten a chance to check who the others are yet."_

Daniel was almost disappointed that that meant he would never find out exactly why Maybourne had been so interested in his homeworld. He quickly became relieved, because the point was now moot, and immediately felt guilty. It shouldn't have taken him so long to feel bad about the fact that another man was dead, no matter who he was.

_"The good news,"_ Sam went on, _"is that Hathor's tank of larval Goa'uld was destroyed in the firefight, so nothing of her survived. But, General...Hathor tried to escape through the Stargate."_

General Hammond frowned. "Then why wouldn't she have tried to come here, instead?"

_"No, sir, not our Stargate. There's a 'gate_ here _, in an underground room."_

The control room froze as one. Daniel crept closer, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

"What?" Jack broke in. "That's... Carter, are you sure?"

_"Yes, Colonel. We followed Hathor and her men down there and I saw it myself. There doesn't appear to be any dialing mechanism or DHD, which is likely the reason we were able to stop her before she could rig up some other mechanism and get out through it. A lot of people here seem as surprised as we were, so I haven't been able to determine yet how they found it or who knew about--"_ Sam stopped, and there was a brief scuffling noise, along with the sound of muffled voices.

"Captain Carter," the general called sharply. "Captain?"

_"Sorry about that, sir,"_ Sam's voice came back. _"One of the researchers who studied it, Dr. Farley, is here and says she can explain, if that's all right, General."_

"Is there anything else to report about the Hathor situation?" the general asked.

_"No, sir, not at the moment. We're assisting with damage assessment and providing medical care where needed."_

"Then put the doctor on."

There was another short pause, and then a different woman's more tentative voice came through the speaker. _"Hello? Is this Stargate Command? Um, Captain Carter says you weren't aware of the existence of the Antarctica Stargate."_

The general's eyebrows jumped up. "Antarctica?"

_"It was found by a researcher at McMurdo Station in...1991, I believe. A man was separated during a storm and took shelter in a large chamber, which was where he found the ring. He recognized it for what it was, and, afterward, he contacted the National Intelligence Division."_

"Who was this man?" General Hammond demanded. "How did he recognize it? How did he know to call the NID?"

_"Um...I don't know how he recognized it. His name was Brent Langham. Maybe he was involved in the initial research on Stargates? I don't know--I was just assigned to study it after it was brought here."_

"I don't remember that name from 1982," Jack said quietly. "Could've been an NID plant, sir, or one of their contacts."

The general nodded once. "Doctor, who was in charge of your research?"

_"The same man who found the ring: Dr. Langham. He was reassigned here after the discovery to direct the project. No one but the people who worked on it directly even knew about it. But all work on the Stargate was shut down after he passed away almost five years ago, so we never got very far."_

"And no one's done any work on it since then."

_"Not that I know of; we were all reassigned to different projects. We assumed the SGC knew everything about this--we used the SGC's early research as a starting point for our own."_

General Hammond pursed his lips, thinking. "Thank you, Doctor. That will be all. Put Captain Carter back on the line, please."

Satisfied that the planet wouldn't be taken over by a Goa'uld anytime soon, Daniel backed away and slipped out to bring Robert's book back to his office before someone noticed him standing there.


	15. Decisions

**_3 February 1998; SGC, Earth, 1200 hrs_ **

"Jack, Sam, Teal'c," Daniel called as he saw the three of them leave the briefing room. "What--"

"Aht! I know what you're gonna ask," Jack said. "C'mon, my office. This isn't common knowledge yet. At least not to people who weren't eavesdropping on a classified conversation," he added pointedly. "You know, you're developing a bad habit of getting involved in stuff you shouldn't be."

"So you can't tell me about the other Stargate," Daniel guessed, ignoring the rebuke as he stepped in behind SG-1 and closed the door. "Come on, I already heard some of it. Do I not have high enough clearance? Who am I going to tell?"

The three exchanged glances, and finally Sam said, "It's more that there's not a lot _to_ tell. Their research on that Stargate was based on early work done for the first Abydos mission and then stopped before we really got our more recent work restarted. In other words, they didn't get very far."

"We're sending a team to McMurdo tomorrow to look around," Jack added.

"To see if there's a DHD there, you mean," Daniel said.

Jack crossed his arms. "Exactly how much did you overhear in there yesterday?"

Daniel shrugged. "Most of it."

"Well, if you already know..." Sam allowed. "Partly, it's to figure out what it was doing there in the first place, but also, yes, we're going to see if there's a DHD. They wouldn't have known what DHDs were in 1991, so I wouldn't be surprised if they missed it."

"And if you find it, it's going to be sent to Area 51, isn't it."

"If there's research to be done, that's the place it should go," Sam said. "Besides, it goes with their Stargate --you know how not all 'gates have exactly the same set of symbols, especially the point of origin? Well, that DHD would work only erratically with our 'gate. They've agreed not to use their 'gate for traveling to other planets, at least not without our knowledge."

"There aren't going to be any consequences after they covered up something like that?" Daniel said incredulously. "This isn't even the first time we've suspected that the NID or someone at Area 51 has been doing something dishonest."

"It's entirely possible that they simply didn't tell us because the SGC wasn't formally created until 1997, after their studies were stopped," Sam pointed out. "Even if it was a cover-up orchestrated by a...a rogue agent, that agent is dead, and as far as we can tell from here, that seems to have cut it off at the source. I know you didn't have the best experience at Area 51, Daniel, but a lot of good research has come out of there," she insisted. "Almost everything there is completely legitimate."

"' _Almost_ everything' meaning that some things aren't," he challenged. "They hid at least five Goa'uld devices until they had no choice but to report them. Sam, even if they didn't tell us before, you don't just forget to tell Stargate Command about a hidden _Stargate_! The NID's been working on...on who-knows-what for over fourteen years, and they've obviously had trouble staying 'legitimate'."

Jack rolled his eyes. "We're not _trusting_ them mindlessly, Daniel. We'll be sending some of our own people to participate in the research. And yes, people have found it a little suspicious, so there's going to be a full investigation of the NID's actions over the last several years. Besides, I'm sure you also heard that even Colonel Maybourne was killed yesterday. Whatever he was doing--it's not an issue anymore."

Not knowing exactly how he should feel about Maybourne's death, Daniel ignored that to ask, "What about Hathor's sarcophagus? Are they keeping that, too, even though it could help when the SG teams come back with wounded?"

"For now, they're keeping it, yes, to do more research on it."

"Jack--"

"Daniel!" Jack cut him off, looking annoyed. "I don't like it either, but you don't have a say in this decision. You shouldn't even know about all this--be glad you're not getting reprimanded for listening in and knowing about this business with the NID to begin with."

Stung, and thinking he'd had a pretty big personal interest in the NID's business ever since the NID got involved in _his_ business, Daniel retorted, "I'm talking about Hathor, Jack--it would've been pretty hard for me not to know about it. I suppose the next time I figure out that our wo-- _your_ world is about to be taken over by a queen Goa'uld, I should just pretend not to notice?"

"What, you want a formal thank-you letter?"

"I want to be allowed to know what's going on and what I'm doing work for! Are you going to keep me out of Robert's office now, too?"

"You know," Jack snapped, "maybe we _should_."

Daniel gaped for a moment, stunned. "Say whatever you want about my age or...or my schooling, but I work as hard as any other translator here," he said, furious, "and don't act like it hasn't done any good. Who taught SG-6 the right words when Lieutenant Hale was captured that and they had to negotiate for his release? Who found the information that led to the naquadah testing that's being done here?"

"That's what we hired Dr. Rothman to do," Jack said, "and there's Lieutenant Hagman, Captain Young, and...a host of other translators in the department."

"Those things I mentioned were in Goa'uld, which means _I_ did them!" he said. "Even if Robert learned more of the language, haven't you noticed that the majority of the planets you find speak languages that the two of us work on?"

"SG-7's talking about astronomy with English speakers on Hanka right now without your _expertise_ ," Jack said, his tone biting.

"So there are a few planets speaking English, Jack, which we don't even understand yet, and how many speaking variants of Goa'uld or Egyptian? Robert and I are the only ones qualified to work on those, and in _addition_ , we get things in Latin and...and things from Babylon--we even got something like Ancient Greek. Robert's only one person, and there's no way one person could finish all the crap that gets thrown at our office!"

Jack stalked closer and said in a falsely mild tone, "'Crap,' Daniel? You're starting to swear in English?"

Pointedly, Daniel answered, "I _learn_ , Jack. I'm good at languages. It's what I've been doing here for the past four months."

"Good for you. Learning is what children are supposed to do."

"No one complains about my involvement or my age when I find something helpful," Daniel snapped, bristling at the patronizing words. "When I brought you the Hathor article, I offered to step aside and get Robert so the _adults_ could handle it, but _you_ told me to go with you to General Hammond and explain. You made a point of saying you trusted me--or is that only when it's convenient to you?"

Sam took a hesitant step forward. "He has a point--"

Jack whirled on her. "Dammit, Carter, don't you see what's going on? We're _using_ him! We're taking advantage of him, and...and it...it's _wrong_!"

Surprised into silence, Daniel reeled back and stared. Sam recovered first and asked, "Sir?" Teal'c lifted his head thoughtfully and watched in silence.

Looking between them, Jack ran a hand through his hair and said, quieter but no less intense, "Look at what's happening here. We are _training_ a fourteen-year-old boy to be...the perfect little worker for the SGC, and no one's even been noticing!"

"What are you talking about?" Daniel said, more cautiously.

"I'm talking about everything you were just saying, Daniel. You're practically a full member of the research staff, you know this base and its workings inside-out, you speak the languages we care about the most, you...you train with Teal'c every chance you get--"

"Wait, no," Daniel interrupted, unable to listen without defending himself, "no, no, we talked about this, Jack, you said you--"

"--you're helping prepare mission briefings to send teams off-world--"

"The general approves when we have good intellig--"

"--you're passing information about suspicious NID agents to Hammond--"

"That wasn't my fault, _yi shay!_ "

"--and yesterday," Jack finished, shouting too, now, "I was standing in the briefing room about to confide in a _kid_ how _screwed up_ a military strike was! You shouldn't be sneaking around and trying to listen in to find out if your friends survived an insane mission, Daniel! Do you people not see something wrong with this?"

"I'm not on your _team_ , Jack, I know that," Daniel said, trying and failing to keep his voice calm. "I'm not claiming to be anywhere near ready to be your perfect worker--"

"The way it's been going, in a few years you will be!"

"Then _train_ me!" Daniel yelled back.

Jack stopped. "What?"

Lower, he repeated, "Train me, Jack! I could help you--so just let me! I'm good at this, you know I am. I don't make more mistakes than any other translator here, I learn fast...and it's not just languages or mythology; I'll go through any training asked of me, in whatever I have to. Teal'c knows I won't balk at--"

"This isn't about whether or not you can do it."

Daniel glanced at Teal'c and gestured toward him. "Would you exclude Teal'c from this program because he's a ninety-eight-year-old man?"

"Oh, come on, that's a physical, genetic difference, Daniel," Jack scoffed. "You'd better carve out a pouch and find yourself a symbiote before you try that argument."

"Fine, then would you exclude him because he never went to one of Earth's military academies?"

Jack glared at him. "That's different."

"Why? Because he's proven himself trustworthy and capable? Because he's not from Earth, so the same rules don't apply? Because he's not _smaller_ than you, so you don't feel guilty when you look at him?" Daniel forced himself to keep his eyes steadily on Jack, who looked ready to kick something, with Daniel as a good potential target.

Teal'c shifted and spoke for the first time. "What advantage would your inclusion in this program provide?"

"Teal'c," Jack said through gritted teeth, "that is _so_ not my point."

"Nevertheless, O'Neill, it is one that must be made," Teal'c countered. "Daniel Jackson, what advantage could you provide to Stargate Command?"

Daniel whirled indignantly on Teal'c. "I beg your par--?" he started, before he recognized the familiar expression and bearing that Teal'c always took during their lessons, whether it was on Goa'uld or the use of a _bashaak_. Though the Jaffa normally deferred to Jack on matters of Tau'ri regulations, he was getting comfortable enough to talk back on occasion, and Teal'c considered Daniel's training his own responsibility, whether or not Jack agreed.

Though he was unsure of exactly what this particular lesson was, Daniel closed his eyes briefly and forced himself to think rationally instead of yelling back. "There are the obvious advantages of having a translator in the field and not on the other side of a wormhole. Most military interpreters are qualified in modern Earth languages, not their ancestor languages, and few of our civilian ancient language specialists are willing or ready to accompany a team off-world. I'm the best Goa'uld speaker you have, other than Teal'c."

"We know that, thanks," Jack told him tightly. "But there's a problem with your logic. Someone here's gonna have to learn Goa'uld anyway. They can't keep using you as a crutch to fill in what they don't know, since you're going home in half a year."

And then Daniel realized what Teal'c was really asking.

He looked at the Jaffa, who stared back impassively, his expression for once truly, completely unreadable. Then he turned back to face Jack, straightened his spine, and took a deep breath.

"What if I decided not to go home in half a year?" Daniel asked.

Sam's eyes widened. Jack's face seemed to freeze, while Teal'c's still wasn't revealing anything.

"Daniel," Jack warned softly, seriously, "you don't make a decision like this while you're upset, not because you're annoyed at me."

Daniel stared at the carpet, then looked back up and shook his head determinedly. "No. It's not like that. I've thought about it, Jack. I've been thinking about it for months, ever since I first talked to Teal'c about what war on the Goa'uld means. I've just never...said it out loud before. You told me once that, if I wanted to stay, I could."

"I said 'probably,'" Jack corrected, "and it was...theoretical then. Look, _Teal'c_ can't go home or be with his family. You can. That's not something you give up lightly."

"Home, Jack?" he repeated, his voice not quite shaking, though his hands were. "To my...my parents' grave? And the graves of the others who were killed that night--I'm not stupid, Jack, I know there must have been...others who fell, even if you and your team didn't recognize them. And I'd just sit there and do nothing, while my brother and his sister live as Goa'uld hosts?"

"Daniel." Jack exhaled sharply. "I know. I know, it'll be hard, but you'll regret it later if you stay and try to pretend it didn't happen."

A sudden rage surged up in him, and Daniel had to dig his fingernails into his clenched fists to push it down. "That's not what I'm doing," he finally forced out with relative calm. "I'm not pretending anything. Teal'c could be with his family in the Land of Light, but he's choosing to stay _here_ , because he can't fight from there. I have as much of a right to want to stop the Goa'uld as Teal'c does, and I can't do it from Abydos, not as well as I could from here."

"We can't--"

"Also...there are strategic advantages I could bring to the SGC," he interrupted, with a sharp pang at reducing the place where he grew up to a point of strategy.

Jack crossed his arms, his face totally blank, but said nothing.

Trying to inject confidence into his voice, he continued, "Sam says a relationship with Abydos would be good for us, even if it's just basic technology in exchange for naquadah. The people listen to Kasuf, and he helped raise me--he knows and trusts me. I could help...facilitate that."

It was Sam who spoke first. "You could do that from Abydos."

"But I could be more useful to you _here_ , if you let me. Let me learn how to be useful. I'll keep working the way I have been, with Robert, learn whatever else the SGC thinks necessary, and act as a liaison with my--with Abydos if the general approves of an alliance between us."

When he finished, he stood as still as he could, feeling three gazes boring into him. Jack uncrossed his arms finally and said, "You haven't thought this through."

"I ha--" Daniel stopped his protest, then admitted, "Not completely, no. I haven't figured everything out. Yet. But I will."

"We're not the ones you need to convince."

_You're the ones I want to convince_ , he thought, and said aloud, "The general listens to you, and you know what I'm capable of better than anyone. The whole SGC knows that. No one, much less General Hammond, will agree if you don't. I'm not going to change my mind."

"You think so?" Jack said, his voice hard. "Take some time to think, then tell me that again. You're talking about leaving your home and your people. You're talking about staying on Earth to help fight a war, Daniel. Think about that very hard and make sure you know exactly what it means."

Daniel let his eyes drift to the others. Sam's gaze was intent on the carpet. Teal'c said nothing but gave him a solemn nod. Daniel thought it was approval, but there was something else, too--understanding, maybe. They all had to make sacrifices for what they believed in, and what Daniel was thinking of doing was nothing compared to the price Teal'c had paid. This was something he could do; it was something he _had_ to do.

"In about three of your months, it will be the winter solstice on Abydos," Daniel offered finally. "On the first of May."

Jack nodded. "And then you'll come of age by your laws. Show me--as an adult--that you're serious about this and that you understand what it really means. Then, we can discuss it again."

"I will." Formally, in the Abydonian way that he had avoided before in order to blend in, Daniel crossed arms in front of himself and bowed. "Thank you," he said, meeting Jack's eyes briefly. He turned and left, so that he could get out of sight before his legs gave way under him.

XXXXX

**_6 March 1998; SGC, Earth, 2000 hrs_ **

A month later, everyone on Hanka was found dead.

Daniel had run to the control room at the sound of blaring alarms and overheard that everyone on the planet had died of some disease, except for one girl they had rescued. And even the girl, Cassandra--she'd been on Earth for less than two days before nearly dying in the infirmary.

He was waiting on a chair in the hallway and stood up when Sam walked out of Cassandra's guest quarters. "Sam? How is she?" he asked.

"She's fine," Sam told him tiredly. "Sleeping, finally. And apparently, you and Dr. Rothman were right about naquadah being able to exist in the human bloodstream. The concentrations we found inside her were well beyond anything that could be accounted for by gradual contamination from the environment."

"And...you're sure it's wise to leave her in there alone?"

"She's just a little girl, Daniel," she snapped. "A victim, naquadah or not. Not everyone is part of a Goa'uld plot. What exactly do you think she's going to do?"

Daniel bit the inside of his cheek, noting Sam's uncharacteristically distressed air. "I wasn't trying to accuse Cassandra of anything," he told her carefully. "I just meant that she might be scared by herself." When Sam's expression became surprised, he looked away and toward Cassandra's door. "She had a nightmare just now?"

There was a long silence. "Yeah," Sam said at last. "She was...calling for her mom."

He nodded but didn't answer.

Sam sighed and dropped into a seat. "You would know, wouldn't you. I'm sorry--I don't know how I forgot."

"No," he said. "No, it's not--it wasn't the same with me. Someone deliberately did something terrible to Cassandra that could kill her, and she wasn't raised to know about aliens and the Stargate the way I was. No one even knows what they did to her. She must be...I can't even imagine." He almost said, ' _And she's just a kid,'_ but he had a feeling it would come out sounding ridiculous, even if he did feel that way--she was a couple of years younger and so much smaller than he was.

He wondered if that was how everyone had seen him when he'd arrived, and if that was how everyone still saw him now.

"Do you think she'd like to talk to you?" Sam asked, not a suggestion but a question, genuinely unsure. "You're closer to her age, and you do have a better idea of what this is like--"

He shook his head. "She doesn't want someone her own age," he said confidently. "Not at first. Right now, she'll want someone who can...take care of things, you know?" He hesitated, then sat down as well and looked at her, distantly surprised that he no longer had to look up. "Sam, she misses everyone, and she needs someone to...to tell her it'll be okay."

It felt strange to be saying something like this to Sam. While they talked often, and easily, most of their interactions had to do with research or a mission. Teal'c was the one to whom Daniel confessed his nightmares, and Jack usually went out of his way to steer conversations away from work. He wasn't sure what Sam's response would be now.

She gave him an unreadable look, perhaps thinking the same thing, then looped a warm arm around his shoulders. "You weren't like that when you first got here," she remarked. "You were really insistent about being independent."

Daniel ducked his head. "I wanted to be, but I ended up...uh, cowering in the embarkation room, remember?" he said, flushing, still embarrassed about the incident. "And you didn't see me afterward in my room, jumping at every... I was scared out of my mind," he admitted. "Couldn't even speak the right language for hours."

"I remember," she said softly, her arm tightening slightly. He reddened further. "You know that's nothing to be ashamed of, don't you? It's a little late for me to be saying it, but--"

"Jack talked to me," he said her. "He--and you and Teal'c--have talked to me about a lot of things. Maybe that was what I needed at the time, and Cassandra will need someone to do that for her. If you want, I can keep her company for a while, anytime you need a break, Sam, but she's looking to you. And Janet. Not me."

Sam sighed again. "I don't know what I'm doing," she confessed.

"You're doing fine," he said, trying to be reassuring. "I've seen you talking with her--have you seen the way she looks at you?"

"But...I don't know what I'm supposed to _do_ ," she said again, looking unhappy. "I've never learned this. I mean, Janet's practically like a mother to everyone, so I get why Cassandra would like her, but...I'm not good at kids, Daniel."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. He had to resist the urge to remind her that he had even _less_ of a clue about what to do in situations like this, but then, he wasn't the one upon whom the burden was being thrust. "Trust me," he finally said, "just being with her will make a difference."

She nodded and stood up. "Then I'll be there for her," she said, like a promise. "But while she's asleep... I have a test to run that might help us determine what's going on inside her, so I want to get it done before she wakes up." She hesitated, considering him, then offered, "Cassandra has some device inside her that will eventually cause contact between a chunk of naquadah, potassium, and iron."

"Puh...tassium?" he echoed, pleased despite the situation that she was telling him.

"It's another element, common on Earth," she explained. "It's found naturally in our bodies in ionic--in another form. We need to know what happens when it comes into contact with naquadah. Do you want to come with me and watch?"

Daniel was tempted to say 'yes,' to see with his own eyes for the first time just what the so-called Stargate element was capable of, but he shook his head again. "I think...I'm going to stay out here for a while. In case she wakes up and needs something. It gets quiet out here at night if you don't know your way around."

Her eyes softened, and she looked toward Cassandra's door. "That's sweet of you, Daniel. You know...I'm supposed to be detached about this, but..." She glanced at him, and then back. "I...I want to get things right with her."

_With her?_ He wondered for a moment whether that meant she thought they'd done something wrong with him, but he shook it off when he decided he agreed with the sentiment: children were to be protected. Daniel had been different, being so close to adulthood, but...perhaps he understood how they'd all felt about him at the start, too. "Well, I'm glad you're _not_ being detached, then," he said. "Um...will you tell me how the testing goes?"

Her hesitation made him remember the recent tensions about what he was or wasn't allowed to know, but then she nodded. "Yeah. I'll tell you."

Daniel waited until she was gone, then left his chair to sit against the wall closer to the door, where he would be able to hear if Cassandra woke up afraid. Their situations might not be exactly the same, but he understood fear well enough.

...x...

**_7 March 1998; SGC, Earth, 0700 hrs_ **

He woke up the next morning when someone walked past him. "Sam?" he said, yawning.

With one hand on the door handle, Sam paused but didn't answer.

"Sam," he repeated, alarmed, standing up now and moving toward her. "What are--are you _crying_?"

"I..." she started, then stopped with a hand over her mouth.

He'd never seen her like this before--Sam was calm and collected, always, but this... Something must have happened. Tentatively, he laid a hand on her arm. "What happened? I thought you were going to do some testing...oh. Is it...did you find out something about the...the thing inside her?"

Sam dropped her hand and said, "I only used a...microscopic amount of each element. Only the reinforcement and lead shielding around the room stopped the explosion and radiation."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "Explo-- _yi shay_ ," he swore, shocked. "You mean...the thing in Cassandra..."

"We think someone used her to try to destroy us," Sam said.

"They made her into a bomb?" Daniel looked at the door to Cassandra's room and back to Sam. "How do we stop it?"

Sam ground her heel into the floor and shook her head. "We don't know how. And we have about an hour and a half before..."

Daniel's grip on her arm tightened. "But...there has to be something..." He trailed off. "What are you going to do?" he asked quietly.

Sam had a hand on the wall now and was leaning on it. "An explosion of that magnitude would destroy...this entire complex, at the very least. Certainly the Stargate--our threat to the Goa'uld would be gone, and some of the surrounding areas could be damaged by the radiation. We can't let that happen."

Horror washed over him. "You're sending her away," he realized. "Through the Stargate."

Sam closed her eyes. "We don't have a choice. She's going to...to die, and the only thing we can do is make sure others aren't caught in the..." She shook her head again. "We'll send her back to her planet."

_You do have a choice; there's always a choice_ , he wanted to say, except that, this time, maybe there wasn't a better one. If he'd had any doubts, the look on Sam's face would have convinced him there was no other way. "Does Cassandra..." He had to stop, then tried again, urgently, "Don't tell her. Tell her it's just a...a visit back home or you need to go back to get something or whatever, but don't let her..." _Don't let her know she's going to be taken away to die alone._

She nodded again. "I won't. It's just...God. How can I do something like that to...?"

"It's not your fault, Sam," Daniel said with some effort. "No other choice."

"I know." She put a hand over his on her arm.

"Do you...do you want me to go find, uh, Janet or someone?" he asked awkwardly.

"No," she said immediately. "No, I'll do this." She squeezed his hand and pushed the door open. Daniel backed away, but couldn't make himself move from the hallway.

Inside the room, he could hear Sam talking. "Cassandra?"

Then the girl's sleepy voice: "Sam? Is it morning?"

"Hey, there. Yep, it's morning. Time to get up and see something, okay?"

"Why? Where are we going?"

"You'll see. It'll be fine."

"Will you come with me?"

A pause. "Yeah, of course. I'll go with you--promise."

A minute later, Sam came out the door, leading Cassandra by the hand. Cassandra looked around curiously, reminding Daniel of how he'd been when he'd first arrived on base--orphaned and homeless, terrified and fascinated by everything around him. She caught sight of him and looked up to Sam, then back at him. Daniel forced himself to smile reassuringly at her until they turned the corner. He was struck suddenly by how pretty she was, and all he could think was that her pretty face would soon be just another of the dead on a dead planet, if it even survived the blast.

When they were out of sight, he sank back down to the dusty floor. Pulling his legs up to his chest, he wrapped his arms tightly around them and lay his head on his knees, breathing quietly and trying not to count down the time before the bomb inside Cassandra would detonate.

An alarm sounded, and he jerked his head up. Through the PA, Sergeant Harriman's voice called, _"Unscheduled off-world activation. Incoming wormhole...SG-1's remote signal!"_

Daniel was on his feet and ran toward the stairs, bypassing the elevator to pound down to the 27th level. He reached the control room just as Jack barreled through the wormhole with Teal'c on his heels, yelling, _"Get the girl away from the 'gate! Close the iris! Get her out of here!"_

Sam was dressed in the red biohazard gear, but she was on her knees, and even as Daniel watched, she ripped off her mask. The side blast door slid open, and Janet ran in, bending over something on the other side of Sam. He inched closer to the window, looked down, and gasped when he saw Cassandra collapsed, unconscious, in Sam's arms.

Sergeant Harriman heard him and turned his head slightly to see him. "You shouldn't be in here now," he said matter-of-factly. Knowing this wasn't the time to argue, Daniel nodded and left, not even trying to follow as SG-1 made for the briefing room.

By the time he got to the infirmary, Janet and Cassandra were the only ones there. He lingered just outside, not making enough noise for Janet to notice. She was wearing her stethoscope and listening to something, her other hand absently stroking the girl's hair. Janet took the stethoscope off and sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead and staring at Cassandra's limp form.

It made him feel like an intruder, so Daniel backed away from the door to stand in the corridor nearby. Occasionally checking his watch, he marked nearly half an hour's passing before Jack and Teal'c's voices came down the hallway.

"...what's this Goa'uld called again, Nerdy-something--"

"She is called Nirrti, O'Neill."

"Well, we've got about thirty-seven minutes to finish this. The abandoned nuclear facility is only about twenty minutes from here, but Captain Carter, I'm giving you permission to sit this one out--"

"No, sir," Sam responded, her voice strained but determined, as SG-1 turned the corner heading toward the infirmary door. "I'm going."

Daniel ducked into the dark on-call room as the team came through. He wasn't exactly sure where the abandoned nuclear facility was or what it was used for, but, as Sam came back out cradling the comatose Cassandra in her arms, he didn't have to wonder what they would be doing there this time.

_("...staying on Earth to help fight a war, Daniel. Make sure you know what that means.")_

He peeked into the infirmary when they'd gone but pulled back again when he saw Janet gently smooth the wrinkles in the bed where Cassandra had just lain, wiping her eyes.

...x...

**_7 March 1998; SGC, Earth, 1300 hrs_ **

Daniel looked at the clock on Robert's computer and was disgusted with himself when his first thought was that SG-1's return had been announced over four hours ago, and that it was a good thing the bomb hadn't disintegrated them all along with Cassandra.

Part of him wanted to go down to the briefing room, or Sam's lab, or Jack's office, to find out just what had happened, but this felt like something too sensitive to barge in on. Another part of him simply didn't want to hear that a girl younger than himself had died alone in an abandoned building, light-years away from home. He'd screwed up his courage and knocked on Teal'c's door, but the Jaffa hadn't been there, and Daniel hadn't had the guts to look elsewhere for him.

Work, he decided, turning to Robert's desk. There was always work to be done. A paper was jutting from the drawer where Robert kept personnel records, and, rolling his eyes at his mentor's typical carelessness where people were concerned, Daniel pulled the sheet out and took a glance.

_'Dr. James Frakes, SG-9, civilian consultant (social anthropology), Nov. 1997'_ said the first line he saw in Robert's hand.

Daniel frowned. Frakes had been an anthropologist, he knew, a member of Captain Hansen's SG-9 before--

Oh. Before so many of SG-9 had died early in the program. Sure enough, just below that was, _'Capt Jonas Hansen, SG-9, commander, Nov. 1997.'_

Swallowing, Daniel let his eyes drift downward, past names and teams and dates, until he saw at the bottom: _'Maj John Smith, SG-7, commander, Mar. 1998. Dr. Evelyn Cabal, SG-7, civilian consultant (physics), Mar. 1998. Capt Daen Wright, SG-7 (physics), Mar. 1998. ?? Brian Perez, SG-7 (mech/civil engineering), Mar. 1998.'_

Robert Rothman wasn't good with people, but he wasn't apathetic to their loss. Daniel carefully smoothed out the paper, erased the penciled-in question mark next to Perez's name, and filled in the _SrA_ rank that Robert must have forgotten and wanted to look up later; there were other spots above where he could see eraser marks under a rank or name. If Daniel asked, Robert would probably claim it was a way to keep track of translators and teams and how best to distribute resources, not a ritual of quiet remembrance. Death was frightening, and Robert was a young man, for all he seemed so much wiser than Daniel.

Daniel left the list of the dead in the middle of the desk, where it wouldn't be easily lost, and decided not to mention it unless Robert decided to do so first. It wasn't his place.

He sighed dejectedly, then looked up when a knock sounded on the open door of the office. "Sam," he said, standing quickly in concern. "How are you?"

"I'm great, Daniel," she said, brightly. "You?"

He paused and studied her face, uncertain. She was...beaming? "Are you...uh, I mean..." He licked his lips, faltering as he tried to think of a way to phrase his question without using the words _'dead'_ or _'bomb.'_ She glanced back and another face peeked into the office from behind her. "C-cassandra! Wha--" He looked back up at Sam.

"Everything's fine," she said, laughing at his expression. "I'll explain later. Cassandra just wanted to meet our other off-world resident before she leaves." When he could only gape at them, Sam teased, "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"Wh... Hello," he managed, trying to regain his composure. "Um. Sorry. I'm Daniel. Nice to meet you, Cassandra." Then the other part of what Sam had said filtered through his shock, and apprehension began to creep back in. "Did you say, 'before she leaves'?"

"I'm going home with the doctor," Cassandra said for herself, stepping out from behind Sam, though she maintained her grip on Sam's hand.

"Janet Frasier's going to look after Cassandra until we can find qualified parents for her," Sam explained. Daniel tilted his head to the side, not quite comprehending, and she clarified, "Ones with the right security clearance to adopt her, mostly. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Janet wants to keep her for herself."

"I like Dr. Frasier," Cassandra declared, then said, "You'll visit me, right, Sam?"

"You bet," Sam assured her. "All the time." To Daniel, she added, "Janet's going to take Cassandra home to get settled now. I'm going with them to help--the colonel is, too--but I'll explain it all to you when I get here tomorrow morning. Where can I find you then?"

A little confused by her offer but unable to stop staring at Cassandra's pretty, bright, _alive_ face, he stammered, "W-well, I'll probably be here, actually. Uh, good luck with...everything." Letting a smile spread over his face, he told them, earnestly, "I'm really glad everything worked out."

"Come visit me, too, Daniel?" Cassandra asked timidly.

He glanced at Sam, and when she nodded slightly to him, he replied, "I'd love to, sometime."

When Sam and Cassandra left, Daniel dropped back into the chair and let loose a breath of laughter. Sam had better have a very good explanation, but there _was_ hope after all.

XXXXX

**_8 March 1998; SGC, Earth, 0900 hrs_ **

"Knock, knock," Sam said cheerfully from the door. "Morning."

"So?" Daniel said immediately, pulling off his glasses and pushing back from Robert's desk where he sat before the keyboard. "Last I heard you were going to some nuclear facility, and then...what happened?"

Sam walked in and perched on the edge of the table that served as his own desk. "First of all, I'm never sure how much you manage to find out for yourself, so what exactly...?"

"The bomb was somehow planted by the Goa'uld Nirrti--I don't understand how that works, but I know Cassandra was supposed to destroy us and our Stargate. We didn't have any way of stopping the bomb, and SG-1 was taking her somewhere else, so I assumed she was going to...somewhere where the, uh...where there would be less damage." He winced at how callous he'd made it sound.

Sam winced, too. "That's about it, actually. As it turned out, it was proximity to the Stargate that was triggering it. Once we stopped trying to bring her though the 'gate, the cellular decay essentially stopped."

Daniel blinked, not having heard anything about cellular decay before, but who cared, really, if it meant that no one else was dead? "So that means it didn't explode, right?" he clarified. "She'll be okay as long as she doesn't go anywhere near...what, naquadah?"

"It could have been the naquadah," she said, shrugging. "We don't understand the mechanism fully. But no, it's even better than that. The device is being reabsorbed into her body. By now, it's probably close to undetectable." She beamed again. "Cassandra's going to be just fine."

"But with naquadah inside her."

"Yeah, but so far, the only effect we've seen it have on her was to make her immune to the disease that destroyed her planet."

"That's incredible. When you told me about that test you did, and the bomb, I thought for sure...wow." He let himself fall against the back of the seat. "How could anyone do something like that to her? What kind of..." He trailed off, thinking, _The Goa'uld, of course. There's nothing they're not capable of_.

Sam shook her head, apparently thinking along the same lines. "I know, intellectually, that the Goa'uld have done terrible things. I've certainly seen you obsess over researching them..."

Daniel grimaced. "I guess I _have_ been a little...fixated on the Goa'uld."

"Well, I understand. And I wanted to tell you I really appreciate how concerned you were about Cassandra. I keep thinking we shouldn't dump problems like that on you, and then I went and did it anyway."

"I didn't even talk to her until everything was over yesterday," he pointed out. "You were with her the entire time, Sam; that must have been...very hard."

"You cared enough to ask after her and spend the night outside her door," she answered with a smile. "It means a lot to me, at least."

He shrugged, uncomfortable. "I remember what it was like, that's all. New room, new world, surrounded by new people, on top of everything..." It must have been worse for Cassandra. Daniel had had the comfort of knowing most of his people and his world were intact, just temporarily inaccessible, while everything Cassandra knew was destroyed. Whatever Nirrti had done to her had been personal, in a way, with that device in her body, while Daniel had simply been in the way. "Anyway, I really am glad it all worked out, Sam."

"Actually," she replied, "that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"You...did? Uh, okay. What about it?"

She gave him a considering look, then took a breath, as if preparing herself for something. "It's just...you used to spend all day either in my office or working with Dr. Rothman, and you'd study or train with Teal'c during off hours. Even when you were just wandering around, you'd be thinking about...well, something that had to do with work. To be honest, it worried me at first, and your habits haven't changed all that much."

"What does that have to do with Cassandra?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not like anybody's been making me do more than I can handle, if that's what you're worried about. I like being busy. That's just the way I am."

"Yeah, I understand liking to stay busy," she said knowingly. "It's easier than thinking about some other things you'd rather avoid. You like working and finishing projects because you feel like you're still in control of something. And it's still like that for you now, isn't it?"

Daniel eyed her warily. "What happened to our conversations about naquadah and _bashaak'olo_?" he said lightly with an uneasy laugh. "I miss those." She waited, not giving in. "Is that why _you're_ here on the weekend, Sam?" he said, counterattacking in lieu of an answer. "You're always working, too, even though SG-1 is supposed to be on stand-down."

Sam smiled shrewdly. "That's partly why," she admitted calmly. "I do just like working. But also, when my mom passed, I wasn't very close to the rest of my family. It was a rough time for me, and I spent a long time being very...focused on my studies and on my work, and it's carried over. Your turn, Daniel. It's been less than five months since we were on Abydos." He narrowed his eyes. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said. When she raised her eyebrows, he went on, "I've gotten used to this place and to all of you. I can do something that's important, I like the work here, and I'm learning all the time. Sam, what do want me to... I mean, what does this have to do with Cassandra?"

"Cassandra's going to be adopted--probably by Janet, but if she's not happy, then we'll find someone else," she said.

"Right," he said slowly. "You told me about that. I'm...uh, happy for her. What...?"

"You understand what that means?"

"I'm...sure your legal system isn't the same as the one on Abydos, but yes, I understand the concept of adoption, Sam." Actually, he'd found Lieutenant Hagman looking something up in the office next door yesterday and had slipped the question in during their brief conversation.

"Daniel, even if you do decide to stay on Earth...you could have the same thing," she said. "Even at fourteen or fifteen years old...we could find someone to take you in; I can think of a couple of people here who would probably be willing, even."

"Who?" he blurted, but that would only be a distraction. "I mean, no, that's not...Sam..."

"Wait, listen to me," she insisted. "If you stay here, living on base, you're going to miss out on a lot of the things that most people experience before they start jobs. What happened to wanting someone to take care of things for you, when you first got here? You never want that anymore?"

He stared at her for a long moment. "Yes, sometimes. Don't you? Didn't you, when you learned what was happening to Cassandra?" She looked taken aback, and he felt instantly guilty for using that against her. "Sam, don't ask me to step away from the SGC now, after all I've already done and heard here. If I stay on Earth, it won't be because I want to go to a regular school and...and play...uh...or whatever you think children should do."

She sighed. "We shouldn't have let you get so entrenched into all this. I know you don't want to hear that," she interrupted his protest, "but in the beginning, we were still all trying to figure out the Stargate..."

"I was getting in the way and not making it easy on you, I realize that," he said. "I know you were humoring me with the translations at first."

"We messed up," she said bluntly. "We figured it was short-term; you'd leave in a year. And somehow...at some point, we just stopped thinking twice about giving things to you to translate or talking to you about things we should've kept quiet. I don't know about other teams, but we don't always even go through Dr. Rothman anymore when we need help from you on a project. That's not something I'm proud of."

Part of that was because Robert was still inexperienced, by Tau'ri standards, and didn't take up command as comfortably as the officers and researchers who headed other departments here. Another part of it, however, was that Daniel was on base literally all the time except when Jack made him step outside, and he tended to know everyone and everything going on at the SGC. Besides, Daniel wasn't afraid to run headlong into conflicts that Robert preferred to avoid.

"If it makes you feel better," Daniel said, "think of me as...someone from a foreign planet who happens to be, uh, stationed here, so you're not making me work--you're just accepting someone from an ally who is offering to help. That is, if the general agrees to that arrangement."

If the general _didn't_ agree--he'd find a way to help. The problem was, they only knew of one other planet with any organized Goa'uld resistance at all, and the Jaffa rebellion just barely starting to simmer on Chulak wasn't likely to be something he could help with. If there was no other option, though, maybe...

"You know," she was saying, "that _doesn't_ make me feel any better."

Daniel sighed. "Sam, maybe it was a mistake to let me start working here, but it's done, and like I said, it's done some good, yes? If you want to give someone a normal Tau'ri childhood, start with Cassandra--she can still have it, and it seems like it's what she wants. Besides," he tried to joke, "I turned out okay, didn't I?"

Sam smiled at him, but her expression looked more sad than amused. "You're more than okay, Daniel. But look at all the options, because there are a lot of them, and we can help you explore them. You've got months before you need to decide what you want to do. Talk to us--any of us--if you need advice. Because...well, adult or not, you still need friends."

"I know that."

She watched him for a moment, then said, "You still have family on Abydos. Not blood, I know, but you don't use 'brother' only for people genetically related. I know the people there are important to you. It won't be easy to walk away from that."

His smile faded. "No, it won't. But I think they would understand." Tentatively, he looked away and dared, "And I think, maybe...it would be hard to walk away from some people here, too."

She bit her lip and pushed herself off her perch, cupping a hand around the side of his head and brushing his hair aside with her fingers, just the way Sha'uri used to. It didn't bother him anymore to have someone besides his older sister's fingers whispering against his temple, not with Sam.

"Daniel, when the colonel was arguing about staying here or going back to Abydos...you know we'd love to keep you, don't you? We'd all miss you very much if you went back home, but we want the best for you. That's all we want."

He nodded, realizing in a wave of warmth that he'd become so sure of his friendship with these people that he'd never once thought otherwise. "I know, and I appreciate it." He pulled back gently, clearing his throat. "And I think I do have blood family here, anyway, as it turns out."

"Really? Do you...hm." She tapped a finger against her leg. "Secrecy is an issue, but the general might let us work something out with them, if you wanted."

"N--well, I don't know," Daniel said. "It's my grandfather, I think, my mother's father...but..." But Robert had helped him look through articles with Nicolas Ballard's name in them. Definitely an archaeologist, like Robert had thought, but apparently quite insane. When Daniel had first seen that, he'd made a mental note to ask his mother about the man, but then he'd remembered...well. "If the general lets me stay at the SGC, maybe I'll try to find him," he said eventually. Maybe.

"Is that what you were looking up?" She nodded toward the computer monitor.

"Oh, no. This is SGC-related reading."

She glanced at the open door. "Does Dr. Rothman leave this door open over the weekend, or do you have a key now?"

"He asked the general to give me access to the office," Daniel said, relieved for the change in subject. When she looked again at the monitor, he added, "And he gave me his computer password, too, since he has nothing personal on it. It's only used for work."

"You spend all your weekends in here? I don't always check on you here when I come in."

"No, not always; just when there's something I really want to work on or look up."

She looked at the screen and asked, "Hindu demonology. That's...kind of branching out for you."

"We're all branching out," he pointed out. "Robert specializes in Egypt and knows a little about a lot of other cultures, but everyone has to look wherever they need to for information. We have to, unless they hire a lot more specialists. It's not like you haven't been working on things in the lab that have nothing to do with astrophysics." She considered, then shrugged in acknowledgement. "Most of the time, it's interesting."

"And you need to look up Hindu demons? Sam asked. "Or is it just 'interesting'?"

"After what happened with Cassandra, I've been trying to read all the lore I can on Nirrti," Daniel explained. "Some myths say the rakshasa are her descendents. I just figured I should learn what the stories say. Not that I think the Goa'uld Nirrti actually has rakshasa." He paused. It was possible, he supposed, that her armored Jaffa had once been mistaken for demons. "Probably."

"I certainly hope not."

"What about you? What are you doing here today?"

"Well, I have two reasons," she said. "First, as you know, I set off an explosion in one of the sublevels yesterday," she said. "I'll need to measure radiation levels, see what I can learn about the reaction, and do some salvaging and cleanup if I can."

"What did that do, exactly? Naquadah and potassium, you said?"

"We're not completely sure ourselves--it's just enough to know it could blow us all to he--uh, heck."

"You can't think I've never heard someone around here say 'hell,'" Daniel said dryly.

She smiled ruefully. "Guess not. Well, I'll explain the reaction to you sometime, as well as I can. But I had another reason for coming, and..." Sam stepped outside the office. Curious, Daniel stood and looked around the doorframe. She came back in carrying a paper bag. "Janet and I took Cassandra to get some clothes yesterday, and I remembered you don't really have any civvies."

Daniel felt his face heat. "Sam, you didn't have to..."

"It's not a lot," she assured him. "I know the colonel got you a warm jacket and some sweats for when you stay at his place, so these are literally just a couple of pairs of jeans and a few shirts. It's not any more than we bought for Teal'c. You should at least have something you can walk around in freely outside the Mountain."

Feeling timid the way he usually wasn't anymore around Sam, he looked into the bag she was holding out for him. True to her word, there wasn't a lot in it, and he thought they looked simple enough. Still...he bit his lip self-consciously.

"I checked your BDUs for the size," she told him. "They might be a little loose on you yet, but I figured bigger was better than smaller."

"I was always a little short."

Sam looked surprised and chuckled. "Yeah, well, you've hit a growth spurt since coming here. I've only got a couple of inches on you now, and you're still growing," she added, looking at the strip of bare skin between the bottoms of his trousers and his ankles.

His face red, Daniel carefully put the bag down. "I don't...I'd offer to pay you back or something, but I don't exactly have..."

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving off the concern. "It's not like buying a few sets of clothes is going to set me back. You've been doing as much work as an official employee. It's the very least you deserve for working for free."

"The SGC provides me with a place to live, food, and the clothes I need while here," he pointed out, "not to mention a chance to learn from Robert and all of you. So I wouldn't call it 'for free.'"

Sam's forehead wrinkled. "I hope you don't feel like you need to work for your room and board."

"I'd work whatever the circumstances were," he said. "I'm just saying that General Hammond's been very generous to me." He hesitated, then told her, "Actually, that's something I've been talking to Robert about. I'd like to keep working here, but, like Jack said, I haven't planned things out fully. There are things I'd need, like continued rooming and a way to pay for supplies like food and books..."

"You've talked to Dr. Rothman about this, then?" she said. "What does he think?"

Daniel gave a short laugh. "Compared to the way you guys reacted? I didn't even have to convince him. He's been teaching me techniques and languages, trusting me with my own projects...this way he doesn't have to worry about work collapsing back on him when I leave. Right now, he's the only fulltime archaeologist in the department, so he has to examine all the artifacts, and I'm left with most of our translation work. He's hoping I'll eventually know enough to take on more of the archaeology side," he told her, letting a hint of pride leak through.

Sam's face was less enthusiastic, though. "This is what I was saying before--there are other issues besides just the continuation of your work."

"Oh, I know," he assured her. "Like...for example, education is important to me, even if I've never considered the kind of education that's normal for Earth. If I were to be his assistant, he said he'd want me to demonstrate that I'm keeping up to some minimal level of learning."

"You could study and eventually take a high school equivalence test or something," she agreed. "It's just...Daniel, you're what people here would call 'gifted.' You've got to catch up in some areas, but you could get accepted to the best universities in the nation if you wanted it, for college or graduate degrees. I'd feel bad to see you waste the opportunity to explore your talents."

"Robert thinks I should go to college, too," Daniel said. "He's been talking about the University of Chicago, where he used to work before here, but even if...well, anyway, that wouldn't be for a few more years, at least." It was hard to try to think past even a few months, now. "But I'm still trying to figure out how everything would work--education's only one of things to think about. I also don't know what General Hammond would require from me if I stayed here."

"You're really putting some serious thought into this," Sam said.

"I am. I told you, this wasn't a...a passing whim." Daniel had mulled over it on his own for months, but he'd discussed it extensively with Teal'c, too. The implications of such a drastic decision hadn't all hit him yet, he was sure, but he had to worry now about winning the agreement of people here, at the SGC. Kasuf couldn't stop him from staying or leaving once he came of age, but Daniel didn't want to leave his homeworld without Kasuf's approval, either.

Convincing Kasuf and General Hammond would give him something to focus on, anyway. He didn't think the general would have a problem with letting him stay on Earth, but letting him participate more fully in the SGC's operations was a different matter.

"Well. Then, I guess..." Sam chewed her lip.

He lifted the paper shopping bag. "Thank you for this, Sam. It was really nice of you."

"You can wear them next time you leave base," she suggested. "Don't work too hard--come find me if you need anything. Or if you want company," she added, a smile curving her lips. "The two of us need to talk about something besides work once in a while. Wasn't so bad, was it?"

Very seriously, he told her, "I like the naquadah conversations better."

She aimed a swat at his head. He ducked, grinning, thinking that it really wasn't so bad, after all.


	16. Mirror, Mirror

**_10 April 1998; SGC, Earth, 1500 hrs_ **

"Change of plans--we're coming back," Jack said through the MALP. "Did Captain Carter and that mirror thing get through?"

" _No problems here, Colonel,"_ the general's voice told him. _"She was just about to return to P3R-233, though. Something wrong on your side?"_

Grimacing, Jack said, "Well, sir, Teal'c found this Goa'uld symbol that warns to 'turn back'..."

" _Come back through immediately,"_ Hammond ordered.

"That's what I thought, sir."

Carter was waiting at the ramp on Earth, still in full gear. "What happened?" she asked. He could hear her disappointment at being dragged away from the souvenir shop of stuff she'd found.

Teal'c told her, "Goa'uld destroyers wiped out and contaminated the world. The planet's entire surface is likely to be, in your terms, radioactive."

"What about that thing you brought back?" Jack asked, not keen on finding out later that they'd brought something dangerously radioactive through the 'gate.

"Shouldn't be a problem, sir," she assured him. "I didn't get any odd readings from it, but since we're not sure what it is, I had it brought to a subbasement floor. It's being kept in a lead-shielded room, just in case."

"What exactly is so important about it, again?"

"The frame of the device seems to be made of solid naquadah," she explained. "I'm interested to see what it was built to do."

Jack was more interested in how all sorts of weird crap could and did come through the Stargate, never mind some unknown object they'd never encountered before.

"I know what you're thinking," Carter said, and apparently she really did, because, "The door on the room won't open from the inside. There's no way to get in or out of there without a card and a code, and they're watching it on the camera at all times from a station in the control room."

"Ah," he said. "Good to know."

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; SGC, Earth, 0900 hrs_ **

"Any luck with the mirror?" Jack asked when he saw Carter that morning.

"I'm staring to think there's something I'm missing," she said. "There could be some device that controls it, maybe even something that turns it on."

"We're not going back to that planet," he warned her.

"Yes, sir, I know. The good news is that we don't need to worry about harmful emissions. The composition is very close to the Stargate's, though, which makes me wonder if it's some sort of transportation device. Not to mention that the surface of the...um, mirror reminds me a little of the event horizon when we open a wormhole through the Stargate, but with without the obvious fluctuations. It could even be the boundary of something else entirely."

"So...any luck with the mirror?" he repeated.

"No, sir, not really." She shrugged. "I'd like to keep examining it, but if nothing else, we can always try to take it apart for the naquadah and purify it as a source of weapons-grade material."

Jack tried to think of what the scientists had come up with for uses of naquadah, but all he could remember was that it could power things and blow things up. "Okay. Then--"

"Captain Carter!" Jack turned to see someone he didn't recognize from Carter's lab running toward them. "Sir, ma'am, someone just walked through the mirror."

With only a brief glance at each other, they ran toward the control room station where they could see what was happening in the subbasement room. "Someone who?" Jack asked as they went. "Or what?"

"I'm not sure, sir, but he's definitely human, if that's what you mean, and what he's claiming... You'd better listen to him yourself."

"He's speaking English?" Jack said.

"Oh, yeah, I'd say so. In fact, he's dressed like SGC personnel."

With a sideways glance at the man, he asked, "Are you sure he's not...SGC personnel?"

"I've never seen him before, and--well, and he did come through the mirror, sir," the man pointed out. "And unless I failed to notice that there's a fourth member of SG-1, which he claims he is..."

Jack looked at Carter to see if she had a clue what was going on, but her face was just as blank as his own must be. "Get General Hammond," he ordered the scientist, then bent down to look into the monitor.

Carter drew in a sharp breath. The person on the screen was on his knees, bent over with an arm around his stomach like it hurt. His face was lowered, partially hidden from sight by hair too long for him to be military, but it looked a little like... "Colonel," Carter said quietly, adjusting the video feed, "that SG-1 patch looks pretty real."

A pained grunt came through the speaker as the man on the screen straightened a little and looked up into the camera, glasses slipping down his nose. _"Hello? Uh, if someone's watching this, I know this sounds a little crazy but...ngh..."_ He grimaced and faltered. _"Just let me talk to...uh, there's a Sam Carter here, right? I'm sure she could explain it..."_

The man bent over again, and his voice faded out. Carter's mouth was open slightly in surprise.

Jack pressed the button for the microphone. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

Immediately, the man jerked upright, then winced. _"J-jack? Is that you?"_

"Who are you?" Jack repeated, exchanging a look with Carter.

" _Daniel Jackson, SG-1,"_ the man said, his voice strained, not seeing the way both of them twitched at the name, _"and I really hope you've got one of me in this reality, because otherwise I just look like an insane...uh...okay, well I guess if you don't recognize me you probably don't have one of me...or him...I mean, the me in..._ god _, this is confusing."_ He drew in a hissing breath. _"Just...just hear me out. Or let me talk to Sam...uh, you have a Sam, don't you? Sam Carter? Captain? Or Doctor? Captain-Doctor, hopefully?"_

Jack released the button. 'Captain-Doctor' was what Daniel had called Carter at first. Which could mean nothing. But.

"Sir," Carter said tentatively, "it sounds like he's talking about...alternate realities?"

The man was pulling himself slowly to his feet, leaning against the wall. "Not really my area of expertise," Jack reminded her. "Is it possible?"

"Maybe, theoretically," she hedged. "And if it's another, older version of Daniel--"

"Daniel Jackson is a pretty common name."

"What are the chances that there are two Daniel Jacksons involved with the Stargate program who know us, sir? And...well, there _is_ a physical resemblance."

Jack eyed the man on the screen and allowed, "Sounds like him. At least the confused, rambling parts." And that was Daniel's face, aged a bit, and Daniel's scowl, and he suspected that, close up, their eyes would be the same shade of blue. Into the microphone, Jack asked, "Do you need medical attention?"

" _Jack, at least tell me if you recognize me. I'm not a Goa'uld or anything."_ Jack couldn't think of anything to say in answer that he was willing to reveal, and eventually, the man sighed. _"Fine, we'll do it your way. I'm not injured, but I had an appendectomy a couple of days ago and then ran around and dove through a mirror, so yes, I'm a little sore."_

General Hammond walked up quickly. His gaze found the monitor. "Colonel, who is this man?"

"He says he's Daniel Jackson, sir, and he knows us--or, at least, our names. Daniel's upstairs," Jack added when Hammond looked about to ask. "I was talking to him minutes ago."

"General," Carter said, looking interested and more excited now, "From what he says, he might have come from a different...uh, dimension. Like an alternate reality. That must be why he keeps asking for me--he knows I'd know of the theory."

"Do you, Captain?" Hammond asked. "Is he telling the truth?"

"He...could be, sir. People have theorized that this could happen. Maybe that's the intended purpose of the mirror--I did guess that it was a transportation device."

" _Jack? Are you still there? There're some things you have to know--there was a Goa'uld invasion in another reality I visited, and then in my reality, too. ...Hello? Oh, come on. Jack!"_

The general pursed his lips. "How do we verify his story?"

"We can't without knowing more about the mirror. Well, actually," Carter amended, "if he claims to be Daniel Jackson, and if it's the same one, his DNA might match our Daniel's."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "This guy's gotta be twenty-five, thirty. Obviously they're not the same."

"That's all I've got, sir," she said helplessly.

"Have him taken to the infirmary to be searched and tested," General Hammond decided. "And treated, if he's injured. Make sure he's not a Goa'uld or anything else we can check for--until we're sure, I want guards on him at all times."

"Yes, sir." To the man by the mirror, Jack said, "We're going to escort you to the infirmary. Can you make it on your own?"

" _Thank you!"_ the man said, though he sounded more exasperated than grateful. _"Just make it fast, because there's information you need to know. If you've got a Daniel Jackson here, you can test my DNA, right?"_

"Should've just asked him for advice," he commented to Carter, then, to the man, "We'll do that, among other tests."

" _So you_ do _have one of me? Him?"_

"We're not telling you anything more until we're sure what the hell you are," Jack said.

" _I'm an archaeologist,"_ the man said dryly, then turned when the door slid open. _"Great,"_ he sighed, pushing away from the wall with a grimace and snapping at the airmen, _"I know the way, thanks very much,"_ trying to shrug out of their grip before giving up. _"Or you could lead me. That...that's fine, too."_

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; SGC, Earth, 1000 hrs_ **

When SG-1 walked into the infirmary, the man had been searched and scanned and was sitting impatiently on a gurney. Dr. Frasier was looking at some results nearby. He squinted at them, saying, "You guys are all SG-1, right?"

"Doc?" Jack asked, looking to Frasier.

"He's not a Goa'uld," she told him, handing a pair of glasses back to the man. "There are no anomalies I can find, other than a slightly inflamed appendectomy incision. I haven't had time to do a more thorough screening, but the DNA fragments I've tested so far match our Daniel's exactly, with some almost-negligible error that could be a result of...the...difference," she said awkwardly, clearly unsure what this man was supposed to be told. "Anyway, his story actually seems to check out."

"Yeah," the man put in, "where is your me? He's SG-1 here, isn't he?" A dismayed look passed over his face, and he said, "Is this one of those civilian scientist versus military things? Jack, did you stick him behind a _desk_?"

"Our situation is different from your...reality's," Jack said, not wanting to pull Daniel into this when they weren't sure yet how safe this man was.

"Apparently," Jackson said.

"Now, luckily for you, Captain Carter thinks you're not _completely_ insane."

"Captain?" the man repeated. "Oh, good. I was in this reality where you were a civilian, Sam, and Jack...well, it was, uh...weird. When I saw your mirror was in the SGC, I figured that meant you were doing research on it and knew what it was." He looked at her hopefully. "You do know what it is, don't you?"

"Not exactly," Carter admitted. "You said it's a..."

"Portal to an alternate reality," he finished. "Sam--another one, not my Sam--said something about infinite alternate realities. There was a mirror I found on P3R-233, and I touched something to activate it and got...uh, pulled through to a different SGC."

"You seem to know us pretty well...um, Mr. Jackson," Carter said cautiously.

"It's Doctor," he corrected, looking less certain of himself now that they clearly hadn't known that about him.

"You're a doctor?" she said.

" _Philosophiae_ ," he said. "PhDs in archaeology, anthropology, and philology, but I mostly act as an archaeologist and linguist for the SGC. You don't, uh...I mean, I'm encouraged by the fact that everyone I've seen so far is the same, but obviously _I'm_ not. You believe me, don't you?"

' _Geek,'_ Jack almost said, but didn't, because it was too close to what he would have said to Daniel. "Carter?" he asked, ceding to her.

"I'm starting to believe it, sir," she said. "We might as well hear what he has to say."

Jack nodded. "Hammond's waiting in the briefing room. You, Jackson--"

The door swung open. "Dr. Frasier," Robert Rothman said as he walked in, "I--oh." He stopped, noticing the small gathering there. "I was just...for my antihistamines. But I can come back--"

"Robert?" Dr. Jackson said incredulously.

Rothman looked at him for the first time. "Do I know you?"

"Robert _Rothman_?"

"...Yeah?"

"You work here?" For the first time, Jackson looked really surprised. Rothman just looked really confused.

"Are you new?" Rothman said. "I don't think I've seen...you...hey, wait a--"

"Rothman," Jack cut him off warningly, then asked Jackson, "You know this guy?"

"Of course," Jackson said. "He was my research assistant while I was a grad student at UCLA."

"Excuse me?" Rothman said, bewildered. "I went to college at UCLA, yeah, but until about half a year ago, I was working at the Oriental Institute in Chicago as an assistant to Dr. Rayner, not--"

" _Steven_?" Jackson exploded. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

"What? Steven's a good archaeologist," Rothman defended.

"Steven's a smart academic who ignores good archaeology when the wrong people are unhappy with the results," Jackson corrected, looking affronted. "He was a friend, sure, but... You can do better than him, Robert. At the very least, you should've been working _beside_ him, not for him."

"Well, he _is_ kind of...but..." Rothman blinked. "Who are you again?"

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack broke in impatiently. "Briefing room--let's go, kids."

At those words, an odd expression flitted across Jackson's face. He shook it off, then said, "Right. I'm coming." He pushed himself off the gurney and promptly staggered. Jack automatically caught him under the arm to steady him.

Frasier sighed exasperatedly. "Didn't I just tell you to be careful? It's not going to be pleasant if you rip those stitches out." Jackson didn't seem to hear her, staring at Jack's hand under his arm. "Dr. Jackson?"

Distractedly, Jackson replied, "Y-yeah, Janet. I just forgot." Without looking at any of them, he pulled away from Jack and made his way out the door.

"Rothman, come with us," Jack said, pulling him along while Carter and Teal'c moved to catch up with Dr. Jackson.

"I'll go on with more extensive DNA tests," Frasier called as they left.

"Why?" Rothman was asking. "Who is he?"

"Says he's an archaeologist who knows you. You can help confirm facts." Rothman looked dubious but followed. "His name is Dr. Daniel Jackson."

"But that's imposs--"

"Yeah."

"Daniel's in the lab!"

"From an alternate reality," Jack clarified.

They reached the briefing room just as Rothman repeated, "An alternate _what_?"

Dr. Jackson was easing himself into a chair with a grimace. Carter stood across the table from him, while Teal'c had stationed himself behind. Hammond was watching them all silently. "So," Jackson said, "I'm confused. And, uh," he added, looking around warily, "intrigued by the whole me-sitting you-standing intimidation tactic."

"Well, it's pretty weird for us, too," Jack said. "I mean, just try seeing it from our side."

Jackson raised his eyebrows in that familiarly eloquent way. "Since I came through the mirror, I _am_ on your side, which is why I'm confused, Jack."

"Why do I do that?" Jack muttered. "General, we'd like to hear him out," he told Hammond, who looked at least as lost as any of them but didn't disagree. "So. Explain to us how you're involved with the Stargate program."

Rubbing his temple, Jackson started, "It's a long story..."

"Give us the highlights."

"The Stargate...all right, well, here goes," he muttered. "I had a...somewhat radical theory involving the age of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Catherine Langford recruited me to help figure out how the Stargate worked. I solved it and then went through with the first team--"

"Wait, how old were you?" Carter interrupted. "There's no way you could've solved--you must have been...what, fifteen back then?"

He stared at her, then looked at Jack, who said nothing. "No..." he said, drawing out the word. "I was...uh, thirty or so. We're talking about the first Abydos mission in 1996, right? About two years ago?"

Jack shook his head. "Our first Abydos mission was more than fifteen years ago, in 1982."

Jackson's eyes widened. "Really? Who solved the Stargate?" When they didn't answer, he nodded in resignation. "Right. I'm talking. General West sent you to Abydos, Jack--well, not _you_ , you, obviously...these pronouns are going to drive me insane--"

"Short trip?" Jack couldn't resist saying.

The man scowled at him. "It was Jack, Kawalsky, Ferretti...Freeman..." He stopped, then admitted, "There were a couple others, but, uh, they didn't really socialize much with the dweeb." He gave a weak smile, then let it fade when no one reacted. "Anyway, only Jack knew about the actual mission, which was to set off a nuclear weapon on the other side."

"Only _Jack_ knew?" Jack asked, feeling like he'd just walked through a mirror into Wonderland. Oh, wait...

"He led the team. It was supposed to be a suicide mission." Jackson hesitated here. "That's why they picked him. You told me..." He glanced at the others in the room. "My Jack said no one should have to outlive his own child. That's why he was willing to take the mission, knowing it was...a one-way trip."

Jack grew cold and felt the gazes of the others on him. "And..." He faltered. "I--he told you about his son?" he demanded gruffly. He never talked about that to anyone--he was pretty sure no one on his team even knew he'd had a son at all. No one at all except people with access to his files and...well, and Daniel.

"Yeah--we thought we were going to be killed by Ra. He mentioned Charlie to me a few times after he brought me back to Earth on the second Abydos mission." Jack couldn't find the words he should be saying, and Jackson used the pause to say quietly, "We're...we were good friends. My Jack, I mean, and my Sam and Teal'c."

"What happened on Abydos?" Carter said.

"We started an uprising--or Skaara and the other boys did--and then we nuked Ra's ship. Jack, Kawalsky, and Ferretti were the only survivors from Earth, and I sent them back. They told people I was dead to cover up the fact that I was staying on Abydos with my wife."

"You brought your wife with you, then?" Jack asked, imagining Dr. Daniel Jackson and his wife in another reality filling the roles that Claire and Melburn had filled in this one.

But Jackson replied tiredly, "No, Jack, I married Kasuf's daughter Sha're on Abydos." Teal'c raised an eyebrow behind Dr. Jackson's back. "About a year later, Apophis and his Jaffa came through Earth's Stargate, General Hammond called Jack out of retirement, and he led a team to Abydos to bring me back and figure things out. While I was showing them the cartouches with Stargate addresses, base camp was attacked. Sha're and Skaara were kidnapped and taken to Chulak. The team brought me to Earth, and we went after them...but Sha're and Skaara were taken as hosts."

"Sha're?" Jack asked. "Not Sha'uri?"

"No," Jackson said, with a slight frown. "The names are etymologically related, though, so it might be one of the differences in our realities. But your Sha...uh, Sha'uri, is she--"

"No. Same thing. Uh, sorry," he added awkwardly.

He nodded resignedly. "Expected that. Well. Teal'c broke us out on Chulak, we got back to Earth, and the four of us formed SG-1. We've been going through the Stargate ever since."

"You're a civilian?" Jack said.

"Yes."

"On SG-1--a first-contact team."

Jackson looked offended. "First of all, I carry my weight. I've died for my team at least as often as they have for me"--Jack barely stopped himself from commenting at that, because _what?_ \--"and second, I'm a _cultural expert_ on a first-contact team. What do you do here, keep your linguists on base and conduct talks across the Stargate?" When no one said anything, he looked genuinely surprised. "Wh--are you kidding m--"

"Dr. Jackson," General Hammond cut him off, "you're in no position to make judgments."

Reluctantly, the man said, "Good point. That's not why I'm here." He looked up at them hopefully. "I'm guessing some of my story is familiar, if only because Teal'c's here, but obviously not everything." He glanced at Rothman again.

Carter looked fascinated. "Sir, I think I believe him," she said, sounding amazed.

Teal'c spoke suddenly from behind him, barking, " _Tal shal mak!_ "

Jackson jumped and responded, "Uh, _tal mak_ , uh... _Tauri'i_ Daniel Jackson." Then he wrinkled his brow. "You know, if you're trying to decide whether or not I'm a Goa'uld spy, asking me to speak Goa'uld isn't a great test. Not that I'm complaining," he added.

" _Min ayn anta?_ " Jack tried, feeling a little smug that their Daniel, while not quite fluent in Goa'uld, was smoother at it than this one--one advantage, apparently, of being Earthbound and Teal'c's student, and young enough to pick up languages easily.

Jackson blinked up at him. " _Min Tau'ri_. Clearly you know some things about me...I can give you over twenty more, if you want. I'm from the planet Earth. _Ik ben van de planeet aarde_. _Soy de la Tierra_. _Je viens de la Terre_. _Ya iz_..."

"We get the point," Jack interrupted. Okay, so he might not be fluent in Goa'uld, but Jack supposed being able to speak twenty-plus languages wasn't too shabby. "Why're you here?"

"I accidentally went through the mirror on P3R-233 to a reality where they were under attack by the Goa'uld," Jackson said. "Their Teal'c was leading the attack, so it was definitely Apophis, maybe others. In that world, they hadn't met me or Teal'c, they bombed Abydos and Chulak, Sam was a civilian, Jack was the general..." He shook his head. "It was a really messed up SGC."

"I could be a good general," Jack said indignantly.

"I watched one 'you' send a nuclear warhead to Chulak," Jackson said.

"No I didn't."

"Well, the other you did."

"That wasn't _me_."

"I know. I just said that."

"I'm just saying," Jack said defensively.

" _Sir_ ," Carter interrupted, giving the two of them a strange look. "I think we're getting off track. Dr. Jackson...?"

Jackson nodded. "Uh...right. The other reality couldn't understand the warning they'd gotten from P3R-233, with a Stargate address to somewhere we thought was a Goa'uld base. That SGC was destroyed, but I had enough time to get back to my reality and try to warn _my_ SGC about the attack. But it was bad timing--the senate appropriations committee tried to shut down our program because they thought it took too much money without enough benefit--that's happening here, too, isn't it, General?" he asked suddenly.

"No--we've had some concerns," Hammond answered, which was a surprise to Jack, who hadn't heard anything about that, "but particularly after the Hathor incident, we've been able to quiet them for the most part."

"I'm sorry--Hathor?" Dr. Jackson said.

"Queen Goa'uld? Pheromones? Ring a bell?" Jack answered.

Jackson gave him a dirty look, looking a little angry for the first time. "Yeah, not a favorite memory of mine. Your senate thought letting Hathor escape to Chulak was a good thing?"

"They...no," Carter replied in surprise. "When we found out Hathor had broken into Area 51, we were able to kill her and her Jaffa. We've told the senate that she attacked us independently of the Stargate, and we found and beat her with knowledge from...people we'd gained through the SGC. They're also happy with the sarcophagus we got out of it. It's the NID that's under scrutiny now, more than anything."

"Wow," Jackson said, blinking at her, irritating draining away. "That's different."

"The attack on Earth," Jack prompted.

"Oh. Yes. They, uh, shut down the program, but since I knew what was coming, SG-1 decided to disobey orders, find the Goa'uld homeworld, and try to stop the attack."

"So you went?"

Jackson shook his head. "I'd been feeling a little off, but there hadn't been time to do anything about it. Then my appendix ruptured all of a sudden in the control room. You know, it's funny--after everything we've been through, it was my _appendix_ that..." He shook his head. "Anyway. It caused a minor commotion, and they went without me." With a bitter laugh, he added, "I guess I gave the three of them the distraction they needed to get through the 'gate. I had to stay behind."

Carter winced at the thought. "What happened on Earth?"

"By the time I woke up from the surgery, there were two Goa'uld motherships heading toward us," Jackson said tonelessly. "People finally believed me, and they sent a naquadah-enhanced warhead up to destroy the ships."

"Naquadah-enhanced warhead?" Carter asked, frowning.

"They'd been developing them in secret. Didn't work, anyway--too little and too late."

"Nukes were too little," Jack echoed, but Carter was nodding.

"It would be impossible to destroy a Goa'uld mothership in such a fashion," Teal'c agreed. "Their external shields are too strong."

"We did detect a burst of energy from within one of the ships, though, which seemed to delay them. We thought..." Jackson shook his head again. "I _hoped_ it was SG-1 trying to sabotage them from inside the ship."

"How would they have gotten in?"

"I have no idea. We tried sending Lou Ferretti's team to the same address, but they couldn't get a lock--someone suggested the coordinates might have gone to a Stargate inside the ship, which means the coordinates would have been invalid as soon as they started moving. It seemed the most likely option, other than somehow disabling or destroying the 'gate on the other side."

Jack looked at Teal'c. "Is that possible? Putting it on a ship."

Teal'c considered for a moment, then said, "I have not seen such a vessel, but I believe it to be possible."

"There was another blast while the ships were in orbit," Jackson said. "One of them was damaged enough that it was forced to retreat, but the other one was able to land on the Mountain. It had to have been them--SG-1. They must have set off something inside the ship, but they either didn't know about the other one or couldn't get to it. If only I'd been there to help them--"

"You'd've been dying of appendicitis in the middle of a fight," Jack finished impatiently for him.

He rubbed his temple. "Right. I don't know what I'm thinking." He looked back up, crossing his arms across his chest. "Anyway, Serpent Guards took the base. We set the self-destruct, but before time ran out, General Hammond let me go back through to P3R-233 to try to warn some other reality that hadn't been attacked yet. That was about...huh. Two, three hours ago."

It sounded right, and the story made sense, or as much sense as anything made around here. Still, there was no way to know if it was true. "You were carrying this. What is it?" Jack held up the disc that they'd found after searching Jackson's pockets.

"It's the deep-space transmission from P3R-233 I told you about. When we were in the other reality, I made a copy of it to bring back as proof. Except I was the only one who could understand it, so they still didn't believe me."

An idea forming, Jack asked, "What language is it in?"

"It's a variant of Ancient Egyptian, similar to a dialect spoken on Abydos," Jackson answered. "My Teal'c wasn't familiar enough with that dialect to understand it. It says, 'Beware the destroyers' and gives the coordinates where they're from."

"Rothman?" Jack said.

"I don't know the spoken language that well," Rothman told him. "I've picked up basic spoken Abydonian from Daniel, but that's probably not enough if it's some variant even Teal'c doesn't know."

"From _Daniel_? What _is_ it with your version of me?" Dr. Jackson said incredulously. "Is he here or not? Just have him listen--your planet is at stake, Jack. General!"

General Hammond spoke up, ordering, "Captain Carter, take a look at the recording on the control room computers. I'll call Mr. Jackson down."

"He's not in my office--he's helping Lieutenant Hagman in the lab with some Goa'uld text," Rothman said.

As the general walked to the phone, Jackson asked Rothman, " _Mr._ Jackson? _Your_ office?"

"I'm the head of archaeo-linguistics," Rothman said, warily.

"You...you are."

"Well, honestly, I think it was by default, since it's called 'archaeo-linguistics,' and I'm the only fulltime archaeologist. I work for _you_ in your reality?"

Jack cut them off. "You know those differences you were wondering about? Here's one. The Stargate was opened in 1982 with the help of Claire and Melburn Jackson, who went through with us to Abydos and stayed after we killed Ra. Apophis came through here last year, and we went back to Abydos to bring them back."

Dr. Jackson choked. "My parents?" He started to rise. "They're alive? _Here_?"

With an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu, Jack answered, "Apophis hit Abydos while we were there. They were killed in the attack." Jackson looked devastated for a split second before his face shuttered. "But they left behind a son, who's currently staying with us at the SGC."

"Well, where was he working before that? Still in Chicago, or--"

"General Hammond?" Daniel's distant voice came from the control room, sounding definitely not thirty-something years old.

"Hear that? That's him," Jack told Dr. Jackson, who looked gobsmacked, then walked to the control room where Carter was fiddling with something on the computer. Daniel looked nervous at being called down but relaxed slightly when he saw Jack approaching.

"Mr. Jackson," Hammond told him, "we have a recording of a transmission that's apparently in Ancient Egyptian. We need to know what it says."

"Yes, sir," Daniel said agreeably, used to this kind of task, if not exactly used to the urgency of the request. "From whom?"

"It's a long story. We need to verify a translation we were given."

"Who else here speaks Egyptian?" Daniel asked, looking skeptical.

"Part of that long story," Jack said.

"There," Carter said, finishing. "The disk is clean. There's just the one recording on it, like he said."

"Play it," Jack ordered. She leaned past Daniel to type something, then stood back.

Words in an unfamiliar tongue came through the speaker, and Daniel cocked his head to the side, frowning as he listened. "This isn't the Nagada dialect. It sounds...it's more like what I've heard some of the nomadic tribes speak. A little different, but close enough."

"Can you understand it?" Jack asked.

" _Ti'u_ ," Daniel answered distractedly, listening intently. Suddenly he straightened, looking alarmed. " _Ay._ It's a warning. Where is this from?"

"The exact words, Daniel," Jack instructed.

"It says, uh...'beware...those who would destroy. They come from...'" Daniel stopped.

"What? From where?"

"I don't know," he said, confused. "It just stops in the middle of the phrase, and the whole message repeats."

"Wait," Carter said, leaning in as well to hear better. "There's some sort of pulse--like beats, grouped together."

"That comes right after the unfinished sentence," Daniel confirmed after listening to another loop. "Jack, General, who gave this to you?"

A movement caught their attention, and Jack turned to see Dr. Jackson standing stiffly at the entrance, Teal'c hovering warily at his back and Rothman behind them both. "Those beats were analyzed," the man said. "They're divided into six groups."

Daniel was staring at the man with wide eyes, and Dr. Jackson's eyes kept drifting to him, as well. "And, so, therefore...?" Jack prompted.

"It's a Stargate address, Jack, just without the point of origin. Each number corresponds to a symbol on the P3R-233 DHD. I wrote it down--you should have found a paper in my pocket with the address we worked out. It was the one my SG-1 'gated to, so I think we can assume it was right."

" _Your_ SG-1?" Daniel repeated faintly. "Who--"

"Daniel," Jack interrupted, not missing how both turned to him. To the teenager, he said, "Go ask Dr. Frasier if someone found a paper with a Stargate address in the infirmary."

Standing slowly, Daniel looked between them, then at General Hammond. At a nod from the general, he reluctantly moved past Dr. Jackson, lingering to stare from behind until Teal'c ordered, _"Kree, chal'ti_ ," making Daniel continue out while Dr. Jackson turned around to gape incredulously at Teal'c.

"Dr. Jackson," Hammond said to call the man's attention back to them.

"What?" Jackson said. He shook his head. "That was...I mean... Do you believe me now, at least?"

"We're getting there," Jack allowed. Dr. Jackson raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, looking on the verge of exploding.

"You have to understand," Carter appeased, "this is hard to swallow."

"God! Are you willing to take the chance I'm wrong?" Jackson burst out. He grimaced, hunching over slightly, but continued, "I've seen it twice now-- _no one_ will be spared. Everyone... Jack, Sara was dead in the other reality. And Sam, your whole family, _dead_. Robert, your sister and--"

"We got it," Jack growled.

"Let's not do this here," Hammond said. "There are some more explanations we'll need before we decide on a course of action."

"Move it, Jackson," Jack said, prodding him to the briefing room, not too happy with the man's particular brand of manipulation, even though he might be right.

"I wish you'd just call me Daniel," Jackson commented, not-quite-casually.

Before Jack could snap something back, Carter said, "It would make things confusing. As you can see, we've got a Daniel here." Jackson nodded dejectedly, and Jack remembered that apparently, this man had been friends with people who looked a hell of a lot like them and were now dead.

Jackson gave a disbelieving laugh. "He looks just like..." He shook his head as he sank into a chair, the rest of them also taking seats this time. "He wasn't...de-aged by nanites or something, was he?"

"Nanites?" Jack repeated.

"Yeah, remember the--no? You guys didn't go to P3X-8596? The Argosians, Pelops, Jack got really old...?"

"I think...yes, we did go there," Carter said, "but we apparently stepped out just after a woman died in labor. They must have thought we'd brought bad luck or something and chased us away."

Jackson frowned. "We must have gone just a few minutes earlier than you, in time to deliver the baby. They named him after me."

"Good for you," Jack said sourly.

"The Goa'uld invasion," General Hammond interrupted impatiently. "We know there are differences between our realities. How do we know an attack will happen here?"

"By the time you know, that address I brought won't work, and it'll be too late," Jackson said. "General, we saw the ships within hours of SG-1's 'gating to that address. In my reality, Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter were willing to risk court-martial to stop the attack, and because they had to sneak out unprepared, they di...failed. You don't have that obstacle here--send someone and stop it before it happens."

"And if things are different here?" Hammond said. "I can't risk my people on a 'maybe.'"

"If this Stargate _is_ on a ship, it must be docked at some planet they're using as a base. If it's not there, you won't get a lock on the coordinates. If it is, even if there's no attack, it's a chance to destroy a Goa'uld mothership. A chance to attack them first for once, while they're not expecting it. You won't have a chance if _they_ strike first."

Hammond pursed his lips, thinking. "Colonel O'Neill, I'll leave it to you and SG-1 to decide how to approach this." He stood. "I appreciate what you've been through, Dr. Jackson. But as you said yourself, your people were killed attempting to accomplish what you're proposing. Without knowing for certain that the Goa'uld are intending to attack us, I won't order a team into that situation."

"But...!" Jackson protested.

"Colonel, I'll need to have a viable plan before I authorize any action," Hammond continued over him. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

"Dr. Jackson?"

The man looked to Jack--not the way their Daniel did sometimes, as if looking for reassurance, but searching, as if hoping to see something in his face. "Yes, General," Jackson said finally. "I understand."

"I'll need to inform the President immediately that we were warned about a possible attack, whether it happens or not," Hammond said. "Colonel, a decision before the end of the day."

"Yes, sir," Jack repeated.

When the general had disappeared into his office, Jackson looked apprehensively around at them all. "You have to believe me. _Please_."

Carter grimaced. "If they attack, we're sitting ducks. A preemptive strike _is_ our only chance of stopping a full-scale Goa'uld attack. But we need to go in prepared. First, that address--Dr. Jackson, are you sure you had it?"

"Here, Sam." Daniel-- _their_ Daniel--walked into the briefing room determinedly. "He had the address," he said, holding up a wrinkled sheet of paper. "What's going on?"

"Daniel," Jack warned, "this is one thing you're gonna want to sit out."

The boy drew himself up tall, narrowing his eyes. "I just listened to a warning in Ancient Egyptian about destroyers, Jack. And Janet says she's run enough tests that she's fairly sure _he_ 's me." Daniel pointed at Dr. Jackson, who was looking fascinated. "You were calling him Jackson and talking about a Goa'uld attack, so I _don't_ think I want to sit this out."

"I should put a bell on you," Jack told him, not even surprised anymore that he had been lurking about eavesdropping.

"Why?" Daniel said.

Jack blinked. "Ah...never mind. Just...how much did you hear?"

"Apophis is planning to attack Earth in ships," Daniel said without hesitation, "and you're trying to think of a way to stop it. I still don't know who _he_ is, though." When they glanced at each other, he pointed out, "You're letting Robert help you. Maybe I can help, too. It won't hurt."

"Oh, I'm not helping," Rothman told him with the resignation of someone out of his depth with SGC business and used to it. "I don't actually know why I'm still here."

"What the hell," Jack sighed. "You'd just sneak back in, wouldn't you?"

"I know my way around this base better than anyone by now," Daniel agreed unrepentantly. "In fact, I could probably find somewhere to listen without anyone's noticing."

"Then sit down and don't get in the way or distract us," Jack ordered.

"But tell us if you have a good idea," Dr. Jackson put in.

"Hey," Jack snapped.

"What?" was the unapologetic answer. "Your world could go up in flames. Take what you can get. Believe me, he's a smart kid." Jack rolled his eyes.

Daniel took a seat between Jack and Teal'c, watching Dr. Jackson with suspicion. "Why does Janet say he's me?"

Carter looked to Jack for permission, then explained as quickly as possible, "There are alternate realities that are like ours, but with slight variations. In one of them, this man, Dr. Daniel Jackson, opened the Stargate two years ago and went to Abydos with Colonel O'Neill, and they started their own Great Rebellion against Ra. In his reality, the SGC was recently attacked by the Goa'uld, and he came here to warn us about it."

Daniel's mouth dropped open slightly, but at a look from Jack, he stayed silent.

Jack turned to his teammates, ignoring Rothman, who was still looking between the two Daniel Jacksons. "What do you guys think?"

"I agree with Captain Carter that it is a risk we must take," Teal'c said. "I believe that such an attack is likely."

"You do?" Carter said.

"You defied Apophis on Chulak. That alone would be enough for him to desire your planet's destruction. In addition, all Goa'uld hear news of other Goa'uld."

Jackson jumped on the point. "Yes--think about how much you've angered them. First, Ra--if anything got through the grapevine, it's the fabled Tau'ri helping to throw off one of the most powerful System Lords. Then ambushing Apophis on P3X-774--"

"Whoa, whoa, doing what on where?" Jack asked.

"That's where SG-5 found the Nox and where we sent the Tollan," Carter put in, "but I don't think they met Apophis there."

"Um...okay," Jackson said, frowning. "Not that one. What about Rya'c's _prim'ta_ on Chulak? You destroyed a tank of Goa'uld larvae--"

"No, I didn't," she said. "I just took one and later gave it to Teal'c to replace his."

"You let all those Goa'uld live?" Jackson asked in disbelief.

"You killed them all, just like that?" Carter countered, sounding shocked. "That's like...infanticide. A massacre!"

"They're Goa'uld! You--" Dr. Jackson started, at the same time that Daniel's interjected, "Goa'uld, Sam, they--!" Both of them broke off and stared at each other in surprise. Jack privately couldn't help agreeing with the sentiment but was at the same time a little uneasy that Daniel agreed so readily, too.

The alternate Jackson recovered first. "That's neither here nor there. You still escaped Apophis' Jaffa there. Others might've heard about what you did to Hathor. Nirrti might even have noticed you--please tell me you went Hanka and were able to save Cassandra."

"Yeah, we did those," Jack admitted, slightly disturbed by the differences and wondering which way was better. "Okay, so we've pissed them off."

"Are you...are you going to try to stop them?" Daniel spoke up, looking around the table.

"Where are you from?" Dr. Jackson asked before anyone could answer, his head tilted to the side as if listening. "Your accent's not the same as mine was at, uh, your age, but...it's too slight for me to place it."

Daniel's eyes flicked momentarily to Rothman, who assured him, "It's practically inaudible now, unless you study languages for a living. Like him."

When no one told him to stay quiet, Daniel said, "I grew up in Nagada."

"We're not in the Predynastic Period anym--wait. Nagada, _Abydos_? R-really?" Jackson said, interested and longing at once. He said something that Jack vaguely recognized as Abydonian. Daniel answered readily in kind, his head tilted in thought in the exact same way as his counterpart's. When he finished, Dr. Jackson frowned. "What do you mean? What's wrong with my accent?" he asked indignantly.

"You sound like... _shi'bio di'u_ ," Daniel informed him.

"A foreigner? I'm not that bad," he defended.

"Now, you see," Jack interrupted, dropping a hand on the table, " _this_ would be a distraction."

"Oh--oh, no, no, Jack," Dr. Jackson said, raising an index finger in the air, "Abydos just reminded me of something. We think that address goes to a Stargate on a ship, right?"

Jack looked to Teal'c, who didn't disagree. "Sure."

"You can't damage the ship from the outside, because of the shields. But my SG-1 was able to do damage to one of the ships from the _inside_. So that's where we have to strike. Jack, remember Ra? We sent a bomb onto the ship through the ring transporter, leaving us unharmed miles away on the ground."

"Send a bomb through the Stargate," Jack said, his thoughts whirring. "But there's still the second ship."

"The ships were practically on top of each other by the time they were in orbit around Earth," Jackson said after a moment's consideration. "They must have rendezvoused there deliberately. Teal'c, would there be ring transporters on those ships? Could we get from one to the other?"

"Undoubtedly," Teal'c said. "All major Goa'uld ships and facilities are equipped with them."

"Then we go through the Stargate--"

"Ah!" Jack stopped him. "Not 'we', Doc."

Jackson exhaled loudly. " _Someone_ goes through the Stargate. When the ships are close enough to each other, they send a bomb through the rings to the second ship, then go back to the Stargate and set another bomb to go off just before you dial out of there."

"That's...not bad," Jack allowed, "but those ships must be pretty heavy-duty. We don't have nukes sitting around here."

"What about a naquadah-enhanced bomb?" Carter asked. "SG-8 brought back a bit of the mineral last week."

"We're going to need a lot of firepower," Jack cautioned. "How much can we get out of that? Remember, we need two bombs, and each has to be able to destroy a high-tech mothership on its own. Do we have enough?"

She thought for a moment. "Maybe. It wouldn't be a sure thing, sir, but it might be able to damage the ships enough to make them turn back. I mean, if it's all we have..."

Daniel perked up. "Sam, that thing you explained to me...like Cassandra?"

Carter looked at first as confused as Jack felt, but a second later, she understood. "Those tests with potassium and naquadah," she realized. "With the amount of weapons-grade naquadah we have, and enough potassium to initiate the combustion...sir, we don't fully understand the reaction, but we know it has so much destructive capacity that extensive testing on Earth is unsafe. It would be enough--it would be overkill, in fact."

"Sweet," Jack said. "Overkill is good. Can you do it?"

"I should be able to, sir, but I'll need some time to do a few calculations and put the materials together. The problem will be getting the bombs where we need them, especially if we have to carry one around to the ring transporter. It's extremely reactive. I'd have to build something--"

"Carter, just...can you _do_ it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so. I'm just saying finding the ring transporter will be tricky--finding it while carrying dangerous substances will be harder."

"Whoa," Rothman interrupted, alarmed. "Hold on. What if Dr. Jackson's wrong about this and you end up on a ship that's _not_ about to...you know, rendezvous with another ship and attack Earth?"

"We'll figure it out when we get there, I guess," Jack said. "Eavesdrop on them for a while, if we need to--Teal'c can understand them. If they're not preparing to attack, we'll just leave a bomb behind as a gift and 'gate straight back home. Carter, can you have everything ready in, say...a few hours?"

"I just need to MacGyver some sort of containment...yes, sir, I think so. I'll get people to help."

"Good," Jack said, slapping his palm decisively on the table and rising to his feet. "Get started. I'll brief the general. Teal'c, you've got a better idea than I do about what we'll find inside a Goa'uld mothership. Start preparing our supplies--I'll join you when I'm done here. If this is as urgent as Dr. Jackson says, I want it underway as soon as possible."

"What about me?" Dr. Jackson and Daniel said simultaneously.

"Dr. Jackson, go...catch up with Rothman and mini-you." Daniel raised his eyebrows, insulted. "You're not going, Doc."

"Jack--"

"You haven't miraculously healed from surgery. I'll bet it would hurt just to get out of that chair and run," Jack pointed out. "No, dammit, I don't want a demonstration! You'd be a liability to us. Don't even argue."

Daniel stood. "What about me?" he repeated.

Jack thought there should be some sort of cosmic law saying that two Daniel Jacksons couldn't coexist in the same reality for too long.

"Daniel, you want to go through the 'gate sometime, you'll do it when the other side isn't known enemy territory that we're trying to blow up. This isn't a meet-and-greet or an archaeology thing--this is a military operation, pure and simple, and you don't have the training for it."

Daniel gritted his teeth and glared at the table. "That's not what I meant. Just..." He looked up, fear and something like misery written plainly across his face. "Tell me when you're about to leave. I...I would like to see you all before you go."

Jack understood, then. "I will, kid. Now go help baby-sit Dr. Jackson." Dr. Jackson raised his eyebrows, insulted. "Move it, campers. We've got a planet to save."

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; SGC, Earth, 1600 hrs_ **

Dressed and nearly ready to leave, Jack and Teal'c both looked up at the sound of footsteps at the doorway to SG-1's ready room. "What are you doing here, Dr. Jackson?"

Taking that as an invitation, Jackson came in further, still moving stiffly. "Your Daniel and I swapped information, and Robert filled me in on work. But all three of us were getting a little uncomfortable," he admitted. "Daniel went to the embarkation room to help them get the equipment ready...well, actually, I think he's mostly there to say good-bye to you all."

Feeling awkward, Jack nodded. "Why don't you sit down," he offered, pushing a chair toward the archaeologist. "How's Carter's radioactive nuclear pipe bomb look?"

Jackson flashed him the same quick, amused smile that Daniel sometimes gave him. "Surprisingly small--not like the one we used on Ra. It's basically naquadah and potassium separated by glass. She put in a chunk of...I think it's C-4 on a timer to blow the separation and set off the reaction, and it's all strapped down inside a case."

"Uh-huh. They ready?"

"Yeah. She'll be back here soon, she said. Siler's prepping the MALP now. Pretty much everyone from her lab is in there helping with something, except one guy--Forder?--who's down in the subbasement studying the mirror again."

Jack checked his watch. Thirty minutes until they were to leave. "So about that mirror you came through... What are you doing after all this?"

He shook his head. "I didn't get time to think that far. This only happened..." He exhaled sharply. "My world was lost several hours ago. Wow."

Jack exchanged a glance with Teal'c. "Jackson--" he said. The man flinched. "Uh, Daniel," Jack amended, and was taken back by the intensity of Dr. Jackson's stare. "I'm sorry," he said. "You must've..." He stopped. What did you say to that?

Dr. Jackson pressed his fingers into his eyes and took a breath. "Um. I thought of going back to my reality and trying to help...salvage what I can, but I'd end up on P3R-233, and I can't stay there without dying of radiation. I could go from there to Abydos, but they won't unbury their 'gate for...uh..."

"Just over four months," Jack said. When Dr. Jackson looked surprised, he added, "We've been keeping track."

"Right, you have a Daniel, too. Who thinks of my wife as a...an aunt, or something, and looks _up_ to the kid I call 'little brother.' And seems to think of my best friend as..." He glanced at Jack, who turned uncomfortably back to arranging their supplies. "I guess you don't need another one of me around."

"On the contrary, your skills could be very useful to us," Teal'c said. "Perhaps General Hammond will let you stay until the Stargate on your Abydos is opened."

But Dr. Jackson shook his head. "Earth was the seat of the human resistance. Now it's gone, I can't do anything from my reality. And I can't just retreat back to Abydos and pretend to live a happy life, when everyone I love is dead or a Goa'uld..." He swallowed. "Maybe I'll just keep jumping realities, looking for ones where I can do some good--save people."

"Well, that's a bad plan," Jack said. "Pretty soon you're gonna find one so different you won't survive. Or where they're more paranoid than we are and shoot you on sight."

Jackson's jaw tightened. "What do you expect me to do? Sit around on some safe planet for the rest of my life, knowing what I know?" An odd look passed over his face, and he mused, almost casually, "Besides Earth, the only other planet we know of with any kind of organized resistance at all is Chulak. Maybe Bra'tac would let me help."

"You stroll into Chulak and they _will_ shoot you on sight," Jack said.

The other man laughed, almost hysterically. "You think I care?"

Teal'c tilted his head. "There is still much good you could do, Dr. Jackson," he said.

This Daniel Jackson, Jack thought, was maybe a little more insane than theirs. Then again...if he imagined their Daniel in a similar situation, he knew with an uncomfortable certainty that this man wasn't so far off from their boy, really, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"I'll be doing as much good as I can. If I die doing it..." Jackson gave a shaky laugh. "I should've been with them. With my world--my _team_. This is all I've got left."

_("Home, Jack? To my...my parents' grave? And I'd just sit there and not do anything, while my brother and his sister have to live as Goa'uld hosts?")_

Jack found himself wondering what would happen if their Daniel one day turned into the man sitting before them, with everything gone and no hope left. "You said your Jack O'Neill went to Abydos to die," Jack said. "You wanna do the same thing now, huh?"

"At least _I_ wouldn't be hurting anyone else by doing it," Jackson retorted, his eyes flashing. "And I'm not looking to die."

"You just don't care if it happens!"

"Don't you dare judge me, Jack. You don't know how--I can't go home, all the people closest to me are either dead or Goa'ulds--"

"You know who might have a tiny idea what that's like?" Jack barked, suddenly furious. "He's fourteen years old with your name, and he's waiting for us in the 'gate room. I'm not gonna let hi--let you throw your life away pulling stunts like...like walking onto a planet of Apophis' Jaffa. I'm sorry your friends didn't make it, but--"

Alarms blared.

All three of them sprang to their feet. "Now what?"

Over the PA, someone's frantic voice yelled, _"Enemy Jaffa in the subbasement! Room 2 has been breeched! Hostiles seen coming through the P3R-233 mirror! Repeat, the base is being infiltrated by enemy Jaffa, more still coming through! All personnel at--"_

"Someone was down there studying the mirror," Dr. Jackson realized. "The Serpent Guards on my SGC must've followed me to P3R-233 and figured out the mirror, too, and if your Dr. Forder left the subbasement door open--"

"Crap," Jack said succinctly.

"Jack, you've gotta go. Take what you have and go to those coordinates _now_!"

"Teal'c, grab our stuff," Jack ordered, reaching for the intercom on the wall. "This is Colonel O'Neill," he yelled into it. "Carter, put together whatever you've got in the embarkation room! Someone start dialing that address. We're going now--repeat, we're leaving _now!_ "

Grabbing his vest, he did a double-take. "Jackson, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Dr. Jackson's face was stony. He had one of their grenades in his hand and had grabbed one of SG-1's three submachine guns. "I'm shutting down that mirror--the naquadah will practically tear itself apart with a little help. I'll get as many of the Jaffa as I can on my way down, but I _have_ to get down there--we can't let any more though."

"You can't--"

"I've seen this twice; I'm not watching it again!" he shouted over the alarms. "You have to go, Jack! Just go! I'll watch your back."

With that, the archaeologist reached a hand into Jack's breast pocket, snatching his ID card, and half-ran, half-limped out before they could recover from their surprise. "Jackson--Daniel! That's--"

"O'Neill, we must leave!"

"...suicide," he finished, turning in time to catch the pack Teal'c tossed toward him. They ran out toward the embarkation room, strapping equipment on as they went. "Shit. Take the other MP5, Teal'c--first hostile you take down, get his weapon to Carter."

They sprinted past the security team usually stationed by the 'gate, now spilling out into the corridors. They burst through the blast doors just as the gunfire started outside. _"Chevron three encoded,"_ Sgt. Harriman's voice sounded through the speaker.

"Carter, those things ready?" he shouted, skidding in, cursing as Teal'c ducked a staff blast and barreled in behind him. "Close the blast doors!" he yelled toward the control room when he saw the manual switch had been fried by the blast.

"Ready, sir!" she called, looking almost naked without a gun strapped to her, lifting the bag at her feet and clipping it onto her back. "Daniel, Bill, get out of here!"

Jack's heart stopped.

Suddenly he remembered with a flood of horror that Dr. Jackson had told him Daniel and some scientists were in this room. "No, don't!" he ordered, making them pull up short as they began to run toward the doors. "They're right outside--you'll be shot! Close the _damn doors!"_ he yelled again.

" _The main control panel was hit, Colonel--I'm trying to close them another way right now!"_ Siler's voice came as he slid into a seat in the control room.

"Oh, for... Daniel, Lee, stay in here and _stay down_!" Eyes wide, Daniel looked around the room and, seeing no cover, scrambled to the other side of the ramp, huddling under it. Doctor Lee dragged the MALP into a corner and ducked behind it

" _Chevron four encoded."_

Carter made for the door, saying, "There's not enough time. We have to try to close it manually. I think we...holy--!"

She threw herself to the ground, barely dodging a staff blast. A Serpent Guard followed through, just as Teal'c reached the door himself and tackled the enemy Jaffa to the floor.

"They're getting in!" Jack shouted. "Teal'c, move!" Teal'c dove away from his opponent, and Jack hefted his gun to drop him for good. "Everyone get ready. We go as soon as the--"

" _Chevron five!"_

"--wormhole is established! Carter, you first with the bombs--I'll be right behind you. Teal'c, cover us and then come through immediately!"

Teal'c picked up the fallen Jaffa's staff weapon and tossed it to Carter. The three of them moved to the bottom of the ramp, weapons at the ready.

A muffled _bang_ and a loud crackle came over the PA. "The hell was that?"

A technician in the control room said, _"Explosion in subbasement room 2. At least four hostiles were in there before video was lost, but no one could've survived that. The mirror's down, sir."_

"Jackson," Jack muttered. "Dammit."

"Sir?" Carter asked, not taking her eyes from the door, where they could hear occasional gunfire and yelling outside.

"Eyes on the door, Captain," he said instead of answering.

Suddenly, there was a flash of blinding light just outside. A high-pitched sound reached them, muffled by distance, and the gunfire stopped.

_What...?_

Five Serpent Guards streamed in.

"Down!" Jack shouted and squeezed the trigger as he ducked, feeling staff blasts sizzling overhead and hearing his teammates firing beside him. The two Jaffa in front staggered, but only one went down, the other moving quickly enough to avoid their fire. The other three entered at a run.

" _Chevron six encoded!"_

"Cover up!"

Jack felt his teammates spread out around him, ducking staff blasts. One of the Jaffa crouched by the door, firing at them while the other three made for the Stargate ramp. "Don't let 'em through!" Jack ordered, knowing their cover would be blown if someone tipped off Apophis before they had a chance to act. As he peppered one with bullets, Carter and Teal'c simultaneously took out another, and the final one dropped to find cover behind the side of the ramp.

Finally, the blast door slid shut. Jack could hear something crashing against it--there must still be a few Jaffa left out there. What the hell had happened to all their men in the hallway?

Suddenly, Carter screamed, "Daniel! Get out of there!"

" _Chevron seven--locked!"_

The vortex shot outward, and the stable wormhole formed just as a figure made a desperate, running leap onto the ramp behind Jack, only to be caught by the remaining Jaffa, who had dropped his staff weapon in favor of a knife that he now held to the struggling Daniel's throat. Daniel stilled.

"Stay back!" the Jaffa ordered, holding the teenager in front of him like a shield.

"Like hell!" Jack answered. Carter and Teal'c took places at his side, moving cautiously toward the Jaffa who stood between them and the Stargate.

"Do not attempt to follow, or I will kill the child!"

" _Kree lo'sek_ ," Teal'c spoke up suddenly. Both the Jaffa and Daniel's eyes snapped to him.

After a pause, the Jaffa spat, "You are no longer my First Prime, Teal'c. _Tal bet, shol'va!_ Drop your weapons!"

"Sir?" Carter asked, her staff weapon still raised and primed.

"Wait," Jack ordered, hoping to hell that Teal'c knew what he was doing.

Ignoring them, Teal'c took several steps forward, saying, " _Gurakh, Jaffa. Krel lak--kree ka._ "

The Jaffa narrowed his eyes, confused, and backed away until he was only feet away from the wormhole. "A deception? What...Teal'c--?"

Jack inched forward, flexing his grip on his gun. "Teal'c, what're you--"

" _Kree!_ " Teal'c barked.

At once, Daniel pushed off with his feet and propelled himself backward, throwing his captor off guard. Teal'c sprang forward to grab the Serpent Guard's arm, stopping him just as the blade began to dig into Daniel's throat. His opponent landed a punch that made him stagger back. With a growl, Teal'c recovered and launched himself forward, catching both the Jaffa and Daniel and sending all three tumbling through the Stargate.

"No, dammit!" Jack swore, running up the ramp. "Carter--"

"Go! I'm right behind you!" she called.

He nodded once and dove through the wormhole.


	17. Klorel

**_13 April 1998; Goa'uld Hatak, 1615 hrs_ **

Jack hurtled through the wormhole and into a pile of bodies scuffling furiously in the dark, illuminated only by the active Stargate.

He rolled away and fumbled for his Maglite. Light spilled forth just as Carter came through at a run, immediately dropping her pack to flick on her own flashlight and scan the rest of the room, priming the staff weapon with her other hand and supporting it one-armed. Teal'c looked up just in time to see Jack take aim. "Teal'c, down!" he whispered as loudly as he dared.

Teal'c moved to cover Daniel's body and pull him away, but the other Jaffa regained a grip on him and--

The ground lurched.

Jack quickly released the trigger as he lost his footing and slammed hard into something nearby that felt like stone, knocking the breath from him. Carter's light jittered away as she spilled from the raised platform where the Stargate stood, and other grunts sounded throughout the suddenly dark room as the wormhole disengaged.

When they stopped moving and he could breathe again, Jack hastily turned on his light to scan the room again. He found the stunned Serpent Guard climbing to his feet barely two yards away, the knife nearby on the floor. Seizing his chance, Jack rolled to his knees, reached for the knife's hilt, and plunged the blade between the plates of the Guard's armor. With a surprised, choking gasp, the Jaffa twitched once, then dropped limp to the floor, dead.

Jack released the knife, breathing hard and tingling from adrenaline. Another light came on somewhere to his right, and he looked over to see Carter sitting up from where she'd fallen. "Report," he said.

"I'm fine, sir," Carter whispered back immediately.

"I am unharmed," Teal'c's voice said.

"Daniel, you good?" Jack said.

To his relief, Daniel's dazed voice answered, "Uh...I think so?" Jack swung his light in that direction. He squinted at the shape of Daniel starting to sit up against the stone box he'd been thrown against. There was a reddening mark on the side of his face from the brawl that would bruise, but he seemed mostly okay until Jack saw--

He sucked in a breath and rushed forward. "You're bleeding!"

Daniel stared at him blankly, then lifted a hand to his throat, where blood was dripping down one side of his neck and onto his shirt. Jack shoved his questing fingers away, probing gently at the wound himself, then sat back with a breath of relief.

"How bad is it?" Carter asked anxiously, coming toward him.

"Not bad. Shallow," Jack said, reaching for a first aid kit she'd brought. "And missed the carotid completely. He'll be fine." He pulled out a piece of gauze, folded it once, and pressed it firmly against the cut, eliciting a small flinch. "Hold that there 'til it stops bleeding, Daniel. You gonna be okay?"

Reaching up to hold the gauze in place, Daniel nodded mutely.

"Teal'c," Jack added fervently, "If I ever complain again about you training with Daniel...ignore me." Talk about close calls. "Okay. Carter, dial up Earth. We need to send him back home, right now."

Teal'c walked toward them, saying, "If we are indeed on a ship, O'Neill, I believe we just entered hyperspace."

Carter stopped with a hand over the DHD. "Hyper--does that mean what I think it means? We're moving away from the coordinates we just 'gated to?"

"That is correct, Captain Carter--at great velocity."

"Sir, Dr. Jackson must have been right--they're moving somewhere, possibly Earth, and if we're moving that fast we don't have a point of origin. We won't be able to dial out until--"

"Try it anyway," Jack snapped. She bit her lip but obeyed.

No lock.

" _Yi shay_ ," Daniel said eloquently.

"Crap," Jack agreed, scrubbing a hand through his hair in frustration. Realizing yet another problem, he dug through his pockets, knowing even as he did that the search would be fruitless. "Oy. Did anyone here have time to grab a GDO from one of the techs?"

Carter jumped, reaching automatically toward her boot where she sometimes kept hers. "No, sir."

"Nor I, O'Neill."

"Then we've got no way to get home," Jack said. "If they're worried about an attack, they're not gonna be leaving the iris open for us at the SGC."

"We'd have to 'gate to some other planet first anyway, sir, using Earth's point of origin," Carter said, frowning. "I just don't know what we'll do from there about getting home."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," he said bracingly, deciding that, at worst, they could throw things through the Stargate at the iris until someone decided to open it.

The sound of someone moving behind them made them turn. Teal'c was opening one of the boxes that filled this room. "These are transport containers, much like your shipping crates. We must first equip ourselves to make our way to the ring transporter in order to be prepared when we reach Earth's orbit."

"This is turning out to be a really bad day," Jack commented, keeping his tone even as he watched Daniel from the corner of his eye.

"I'll just stay in here until you're finished and ready to 'gate out," Daniel offered, hearing his worry anyway. "I won't get in your way, I promise. Once you find a way out of here, anyway," he added, looking doubtfully at the apparently seamless walls.

"For once, kid, you getting in our way isn't what I'm afraid of." He glanced around, too. "And there has to be a way out. The doors must be hidden." He stood up and walked toward Teal'c and Carter, adding his flashlight beam to theirs. "What are you doing here? Ah," he said when he saw the oddly shaped devices in the box. "What are these things?"

"They are _zat'nik'tel_ ," Teal'c said as he picked one up. "It is quite a deadly Goa'uld weapon, though its energy is less destructive than that of a staff weapon."

"Sweet. How do you use them?"

"One need only squeeze it here to fire," the Jaffa said, demonstrating how to prime the weapon and then shoot. "Discharging the _zat'nik'tel_ only once causes great pain and disables but does not kill, while the second shot is fatal to nearly all subjects."

"Nice," Carter said appreciatively, eagerly reaching out to arm herself. "What do you call them again?"

Teal'c opened his mouth to answer, when Jack said, "Let's call them zat guns." Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him. "Just pass 'em out. Ah...is there any sort of recoil when you fire? Does it malfunction easily?" It didn't look like a particularly difficult weapon to use--point and squeeze.

"Very little," Teal'c said.

"And first shot doesn't kill?"

"No."

After a brief hesitation, Jack took one to Daniel, deciding he couldn't sit around on the ship completely unarmed, and that this would be easier to use for someone with zero experience using firearms. At the very least, he'd survive if he accidentally shot himself...

No. That wasn't going to happen.

Daniel was standing now and running his free hand over the hieroglyphs on the walls, apparently forgetting he was on an enemy ship. He paused with his finger poised over one of the glyphs. "This is Apophis' serpent symbol, Jack, and it's raised higher than the other ones. Do you think maybe..." His finger slipped down to press one side.

A panel next to them ground open, making them jump away while Carter and Teal'c hurried toward them, pressing their bodies against the wall next to the opening door. Jack took an experimental look around the edge of the panel into what looked like a thankfully empty corridor.

" _Dewa'naturu_ ," Daniel breathed when he saw it was empty.

"Dammit, Daniel!" Jack hissed angrily.

Daniel winced, chagrined. "A way out of the room?"

"First rule: stop touching things!" Jack let his breath out through his teeth, then roughly grabbed Daniel's other hand, lifting the forgotten square of gauze back up to his still-weeping cut. "All right," he whispered. "Carter, you got the bombs?"

She lifted her pack. "Yes, sir."

"Leave one here--no reason to tote two around with us. You, me, and Teal'c are going to find the ring transporter. We don't know where that is, do we?"

"We do not, O'Neill."

"Fine. Avoid engaging the enemy if possible. Teal'c, get that Jaffa's body out of sight. Daniel, did you see Teal'c show us how to fire the zat gun? Do you understand?" A nod. "Are you sure? Good. Stay behind one of the boxes. Use your zat _only_ if absolutely necessary, and don't let anyone see you until we come back for you before we leave. Got it?"

"Yes," Daniel whispered back without argument, accepting the zat gun. He turned it around toward himself to examine it, and Jack had to reach out with a quick lurch of terror, flipping it back around so that it aimed at the ground.

"Never point it toward yourself!" he hissed. " _Never._ " Biting his lips, Daniel nodded, carefully holding it away.

Carter pulled a sealed metal container out of her bag. "Keep this hidden," she told him. "It won't go off on its own unless someone really smashes it around, but be careful with it anyway."

"That's it?" Jack asked, looking dubiously at the object that looked no bigger than some of Carter's bigger textbooks.

"It's not pretty--"

"You're sure that'll do it?"

"It needs to be triggered to start the reaction, but yes. This'll _over_ do it," she assured him.

An unfamiliar noise from within the room made them whirl around, zats at the ready, but it was only Teal'c zapping the dead Jaffa's body until it...

...disappeared?

"Uh, okay," Jack said quietly, staring in fascination. "Explain this again. First shot stuns, second shot kills, and the third shot...?"

"Disintegrates," Teal'c said. The look on his face as almost gleeful. "Only one Goa'uld engineer knew how to create such technology. Very few of this type of _zat'nik'tel_ were made before he was killed."

"I don't suppose we could disintegrate this ship around us?" Carter said.

"The strength of that function is low," Teal'c told her, "and it is limited in the materials it can affect. No Goa'uld technology of such scale could be destroyed in this way."

Jack shook himself. "Good to know." He took another look around the room before saying, "Okay. Everyone clear on what to do?" They nodded. "Daniel, close the door behind us and hide. I'll take point; Teal'c, watch our six. Carter, you worry about that bomb." He looked back one more time, then placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Hey. You--" He stopped, then patted him once, inadequately. "Don't get yourself killed, kid. Just hide--we'll be back for you."

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; Goa'uld Hatak, 1630 hrs_ **

Daniel shifted in the small, pitch black space between the cargo box and the wall, the _zat'nik'tel_ uncomfortable and unfamiliar in his right hand. Though he knew Sam's bomb was beside him on the floor, he reached out to touch the encasing every once in a while to assure himself that he knew where it was. A bomb had killed Ra, which meant it was powerful, and Sam had said this one was even _more_ powerful.

He dropped the hand he'd been holding to his neck and carefully touched the stinging cut, which seemed to have stopped bleeding. His jaw was sore--something hard had hit it sometime between being caught on the ramp and being thrown through the Stargate and then tumbling into a transport container. 

_Naturu_. He'd thought he was dead for sure, that time.

But they were stuck here now, with no GDO and less prepared than they'd hoped to be. They hadn't even had time to send the MALP, and only luck had let them fall into an isolated, unguarded room. And then he'd opened the door-- _stupid, stupid, right after promising not to get in the way_ \--and they'd been lucky no one was outside in the corridor to see them.

Actually, he wasn't sure if this day should be called 'very lucky' or 'very _un_ lucky.' Or maybe more like 'very lucky considering the very unlucky event that had forced them through the wormhole too early.'

Lights flickered on and the doors began to slide open. Daniel pressed himself against the box, checking to make sure the bomb wasn't in sight from the rest of the room. For the first time in years, he wished he were smaller so he wouldn't have to worry about the top of his head being seen if he didn't scrunch down low enough.

Then he heard the sound that still haunted his nightmares: the rhythmic stomping of approaching Jaffa.

He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, then peeked carefully around the side of his makeshift shelter. They were carrying something that looked like a large box, bigger than the cargo crates, hidden from Daniel's view by their armored forms. Once they'd put it down in the center of the room, they gathered around another container and one leaned down to open it. A large, silvery globe rose out and floated to the center of the Stargate, where it stopped, hovering in place.

As if satisfied, the Jaffa turned to leave. Just before the door closed, though, and locked light out, Daniel caught a glimpse of the box the Jaffa had just carried in.

That one, though--that wasn't a transport container. It was a sarcophagus.

Darkness filled the room again.

There was no way to tell time, but his legs had begun to cramp from staying immobile by the time he next heard the Jaffa coming. He ducked down again, blinking as the lights turned on, and waited until the metallic clanking of their footsteps stopped. Peering around the side to watch again, he flinched back in surprise when Apophis's glowering face appeared in the globe that floated in the Stargate.

" _Chel'hol,_ Jaffa," Apophis's voice greeted them. He spoke in Goa'uld, and though Daniel tried to understand as much as he could, there were a few words he couldn't catch. Despite the blanks, however, it was easy enough to understand the main points. " _The end of a dark...of our history approaches. Soon, we will destroy the Tau'ri...who... I will join you as we near their planet. Until then, you are to follow all orders of my son as if they were my own_."

His son? Apophis had a...?

Oh. _Oh, no..._

The sarcophagus in the center of the room began to open. Despite himself, Daniel leaned a little further out, needing to see, needing to know...

Apophis looked down approvingly. " _Mai'ya kal'ma ya daru_. Bow down and show your reverence to my son: the mighty warrior Klorel!"

Klorel sat up from within the sarcophagus. Even from the back, Daniel knew beyond any doubt who it was.

Skaara's body turned around, and Klorel's eyes flashed as distorted words fell from his lips. Later, Daniel couldn't have told what the Goa'uld in his brother's body was saying, because he'd stopped breathing and couldn't hear much of anything over the buzzing that filled his ears.

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; Klorel's Hatak, 1800 hrs_ **

"Let's go!" Jack whispered.

"Where, sir?"

He wormed his knife through a crack between the doors, watching lines of Jaffa marching off. "Wherever everyone else is going."

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "if we are to find the ring transporter, we should go now, while the Jaffa are occupied in the gathering."

"It looks like they're headed for the 'gate room," Jack observed.

"Sir," Carter said, "Teal'c's right. We should take advantage of the distraction. And more of us are more likely to give away Daniel and the other bomb's location."

"Yeah," he conceded reluctantly. "Okay. So, what, do we check every door?"

"The transporter will be located in the _peltak_ ," Teal'c said. "It is what you would refer to as the bridge or control room."

Jack threw an exasperated glance back toward him. "And where would that be?"

"Of that, I am uncertain. This ship seems to be of a new design."

"I'll take that as a yes--we check every door. And I say we go...that way." Pointing down the hall in the opposite direction of the marching Jaffa, Jack stepped out, feeling Carter double-check the hallways behind them before falling in.

It was smooth going for a while, but eventually, it became clear that the meeting must have ended, because they were suddenly ducking behind pillars and walls every few steps or trying to sneak noiselessly past a guard. As they waited for the distinctive footsteps to fade away, Jack impatiently adjusted his grip on his gun. At this rate, stopping more than they were moving, they'd never find the pelty-whatever, much less get to the ring transporter and back in time to stop what these guys were planning.

Finally, Jack peered inside another room and couldn't help a soft, "Whoa." He turned back to the other two. "A bunch of death gliders all docked in here." Looking more carefully through the door, he added, "I think they're...being prepped for launch."

Carter wrinkled her forehead. "Already? But the coordinates we 'gated to were light-years away from Earth. They couldn't possibly get in position in less than ten years, even going at the speed of light."

"I have seen Goa'uld _hatak_ vessels that can travel at ten times that speed," Teal'c said.

"Really? Well, still, that's--"

"Carter," Jack interrupted, "you wanna bet the Sam Carter from the other reality thought that too? And they got from there to Earth in a lot less than ten years." She looked taken aback, then thoughtful. "Teal'c says this ship is the new and improved model. I don't know how fast they go, but they're doing _something_ to those death gliders in here."

"We can do nothing about the gliders," Teal'c said, moving forward to take point. "The _peltak_ is not on this deck. We must continue upward."

Because wandering in circles on _one_ level wasn't enough; of course they'd have an 'upward' to cover, too. "Time?" he whispered to Carter.

"It's been about three hours since we 'gated onboard, sir."

Peachy. "Then--" He stopped and flattened himself against the wall as a Jaffa sentry walked past. "Then we'd better hope this thing doesn't move much faster than you thought."

Just as they reached the next deck, a shout behind him made him turn, opening fire on a single Jaffa standing with his staff weapon at the ready. "Cover!" he ordered as more came around the corner. Carter knelt next to him, her zat gun quickly taking out two guards as he turned to find more coming from the other end of the hall.

Then, Jack heard an unfamiliar rumbling sound around them. "O'Neill, Captain Carter!" Teal'c said. "Brace for--"

The ground suddenly moved under him, and he flew sideways into one of the walls. Carter slammed into a pillar nearby. Some of the Jaffa firing on them stayed upright, but a few of them lost their footing as well.

"--extreme deceleration," Teal'c finished.

"Nice," he manage through what felt like flattened lungs. He struggled to his feet, only to throw himself back down when an energy blast came his way.

A door ground open behind them, and Jack heard Teal'c's staff weapon fire three times in rapid succession. "In here!"

Carter dropped one more Jaffa before fleeing toward Teal'c. Jack followed, not letting go of his gun until Teal'c was inside as well and the door slid shut. "They're gonna get in," Jack warned.

"They will not for some time," Teal'c said, raising his zat. The other two quickly moved away as the energy blast sizzled against the coiled serpent glyph on the wall.

"Cool." Jack stepped over the bodies of the Jaffa who had guarded this room. "All right, so we're safe for the moment. Now..." He looked around the room, seeing no escape route. "They'll be knocking down our door before too long. Take up positions with as much cover as you can find. Hit them as they come in, and then get out."

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; Klorel's Hatak, 2000 hrs_ **

Daniel supposed he should be grateful that whatever was lighting this place was staying on now instead of leaving him in the dark whenever no one was in the room. Then he realized that probably meant something was starting, or about to start, and decided that he had liked the dark just fine.

The sarcophagus had been taken somewhere else. He supposed that didn't mean anything, either, since Klorel had already awoken.

Suddenly, the ship lurched again, and he clamped down on a surprised cry as he was tossed to land in a sprawling heap on the other side of the room.

What was that? They were already in hyperspace, weren't they? Did that mean they were stopping?

The door opened again, and Daniel barely had time to lunge for his _zat'nik'tel_ and throw himself behind a container. He dared a look around the box and saw Skaara-- _no, not Skaara,_ Klorel--coming into the room with two Serpent Guards.

Daniel's eyes lit upon Sam's bomb, which had slid from its place as well and was now next to another box. He himself had been thrown too far away to reach it, and it was no longer hidden from view, if anyone looked in that direction. He shifted, trying to see if he could move quickly and quietly enough to push it out of sight behind--

Apophis's face appeared in the globe. Daniel pulled back immediately, giving up his efforts and hoping the object would simply go unnoticed.

" _Kel shek, Klorel?"_ Apophis asked.

Klorel answered in Goa'uld. " _Father, I have heard reports of gunfire on this vessel. My host remembers the sound as that of Tau'ri weaponry._ "

Daniel's heart pounded. Gunfire meant someone must have discovered SG-1. And if Klorel's host remembered the sound of guns...

Skaara must still be there, somehow. If he could make Skaara hear him, talk to him, _remember_ him...maybe Daniel would be able to help, and save his brother, too, because they were going to destroy this ship and everyone on it, and that meant Skaara, too.

What if Sha'uri were here, or on the other ship? Apophis was leading the attack, and if his...his _child_ was there, why not his queen? If Daniel could only get through to his brother...

But he'd promised not to get in the way anymore--this time, the results might not be as harmless as accidentally opening a door. This was all of SG-1--all of Earth--at stake. But...

_Ay, Skaara, Sha'uri. Forgive me._

" _What?"_ Apophis was snapping. _"Where did they come from?_ "

" _We do not know_ ," Klorel said, sounding nervous." _We did not know of their presence until we were about to exit into the Tau'ri star system._ "

Apophis scowled down at Klorel. " _Find them, my son._ "

" _Should I keep them here until your arrival?_ "

" _No. They must be executed. You may choose their method of death, but do it soon. It is nearly time._ "

Klorel bowed. " _Yes, father._ "

" _I look forward to seeing you at our destination. Lek tol, Klorel._ " Apophis inclined his head, and the image flickered out again.

Klorel turned immediately toward the door. Daniel watched him leave, one Serpent Guard ahead of him and the other behind. Just before the door closed, however, the Jaffa at the rear turned for a final check of the room and called a halt. He came back in, priming his staff weapon, making Klorel and the other Jaffa return as well.

" _What is this delay?_ " Klorel demanded.

" _My lord,_ " the Jaffa replied, pointing with his staff weapon.

Daniel followed their gazes to Sam's bomb, encased in its iron shell, lying in plain view on the floor, only a few feet from his position. Swallowing hard, he lifted his _zat'nik'tel_ as the two Jaffa came further into the room, angling toward the bomb. Surely, this close, he'd be able to hit them, even if he turned out to be a terrible shot. Hopefully.

And, this close, they would actually have to take a step back to use their long staff weapons effectively; that wasn't a problem Daniel would have with a _zat'nik'tel_. They were in his range; he wasn't in theirs.

_("For such a tactic to be successful, you must either have surprise on your side or be quicker or stronger than your opponent," Teal'c instructed.)_

Surprise would have to do.

While one stood guard, the second bent down to pick it up. Daniel squeezed his weapon, feeling it spring up in his hand as he rose to his knees and stunned the first Jaffa from almost point-blank range. The second straightened and reached for his staff weapon as Daniel fired again. This time, he missed-- _missed, how could he miss?_ \--and had to roll frantically away, huddling behind another container to avoid an energy blast. Peeking out from around his box, he saw the Jaffa still standing without cover, and he fired in that direction again, over and over. Finally, one of his shots hit, and the Jaffa fell, stunned.

Breathing out in relief, Daniel stood--

\--and was caught by his arm and spun around to see his brother's face. Terrified, he reflexively raised his _zat'nik'tel_ again, only to have his hand slammed once, twice, three times against the nearest container, until he cried out and let it fall from numb fingers. They were close in size, but Skaara's body had a lifetime of athleticism behind it and the added strength of a symbiote besides.

Struggling in the vice-like grip, he croaked desperately, "Skaara..."

But it was Klorel who sneered at him, amused. "A child?" he said in English. "This is what the Tau'ri have sent to oppose a god?" Then, an odd expression came over his face. "Ah...an Abydon in Tau'ri clothing. What is this?" Laughing, he turned Daniel around so his back was pressed against Klorel, his arms clamped immobile against his body.

Skaara's memories, it had to be--the host was _still there_. "Skaara, no, listen to me...brother!" Switching to Abydonian, Daniel made his voice as forceful as he could. " _Sinu'ai, me mid'cha!_ "

"Your brother had a feeble mind," Klorel said, tightening his hands painfully around Daniel's arms. "It suffered greatly--and then gave in easily."

" _Na nay...Skaara, ya nach Dan'yel, sinu'ka!_ "

"You waste your breath," Klorel said directly into Daniel's ear. "Nothing of the host survives."

"Liar!" Daniel growled, welcoming the anger that boiled up to take the place of fear. " _Kal tek, Goa'uld!_ Skaara!"

"Where are the others?" Klorel demanded.

"They...they're... We brought an army," he bluffed wildly. "Enough to destroy you! You'll never find them all."

Klorel laughed delightedly. "You cannot deceive me, Tau'ri child from Abydos, and your kind could never destroy a god."

Daniel clamped his jaw shut and renewed his efforts to break free. Abruptly, he was released, falling forward and catching himself on his knees and elbows. He turned around and froze, all defiance melting away into dread. A glowing _djera'kesh_ was aimed toward his head. " _Na nay. S-skaara, na nay,_ " he pleaded, shuffling away, remembering vividly what the hand device felt like.

And then everything disappeared as agony ripped through his head.

He stared helplessly at Klorel, distantly hearing himself scream but unable to move, as excruciating waves battered against his mind, until _(naturu, ay naturu!)_ he couldn't take any more...

Just as his eyes fell closed and he felt himself slump to the ground, he imagined that he heard Skaara's voice, as if from a distance, screaming into his mind, _"Dan'yel!"_

Then it stopped, suddenly enough to startle him back into awareness and feel the floor under his cheek. Moaning, he peeled his eyes open to see Skaara's horrified face-- _Skaara, not Klorel_ \--above him. "Skaara," he managed through the residual pain still rippling through him. " _S-sinu'ai_..."

Klorel's eyes flashed, and he raised his hand again. Daniel could only close his eyes resignedly, waiting...

Footsteps sounded at the doorway. "My lord Klorel!" someone said.

Klorel's distorted voice answered, "Why do you disturb me, Bra'tac?"

Daniel thought the name should mean something to him, but it was all he could do to stay awake. Gathering his strength, he squinted at a blurry figure speaking to Klorel and tried to drag himself away, gritting his teeth and barely hearing bits of their conversation filtering through to his ears.

"...missile from Earth. The shields..."

"Find the other Tau'ri, Bra'tac...stopped..."

"...do as you say, my lord."

Klorel's hand dragged Daniel back to his knees, wrenching a feeble groan from his lips. The Goa'uld now glared angrily at him through Skaara's eyes. "Your friends will pay," Klorel snarled.

Daniel caught a glimpse of a Jaffa watching from the door before the _djera'kesh_ rose again, and his attention was consumed by the glowing light emitting from it. Then the pain exploded again behind his eyes, and he didn't have time to make a sound before the world faded away.

...x...

It was the sound of stone scraping on stone that woke him.

Daniel opened his eyes and found himself lying in a small space surrounded by light, with something that looked like doors opening in front of--no, _above_ him. As soon as the opening was big enough, he sat up, looking down at himself in confusion, and realized he felt...good.

_Really_ good.

He shook his head experimentally, but not even a residual ache remained. He touched dried blood on his neck and shirt, but he couldn't find the cut from the knife. In fact, he felt better than he ever had, more ready, more _alive_ , because he just knew he could do anything at all--

Then he realized he was sitting in a box. And not just a box--a sarcophagus.

Suddenly alarmed, he grabbed the sides of the sarcophagus _(coffin_ , his mind supplied. _Flesh-eater)_ and pulled himself over the edge, landing clumsily on the floor. Only then did he look around the room. The door was closed, and the room was empty...

...except for one Jaffa, holding Sam's bomb and watching him, his staff weapon primed and held under one arm.

With a gasp, Daniel pushed himself to his feet and started to duck behind a column before realizing how ridiculous that was. He was unarmed and the other...wait...

"Did you put me in there?" he asked, despite his legs' telling him to _move move move_. "Why...?"

"Because I must know who you are. How did you come here?" the Jaffa demanded. Daniel licked his lips nervously, noticing the gold brand shining in the center of the Jaffa's forehead. This was not just any Serpent Guard; this was the First Prime of Apophis. He was clearly even older than Teal'c, though, so perhaps a former First Prime...

Then the memory of meeting Skaara _(Klorel)_ washed over him in a flood, and he blurted, " _Tek'ma'tae_ Bra'tac _?_ "

Bra'tac stiffened. "How do you...?"

An exhilarated laugh bubbled out of him before he could clamp down on it. "I'm a...student of Teal'c's," he said. "He has told me about you." He shook his head again, forcing down the odd feeling of euphoria that threatened to rise within him. _It's just nerves. Focus. Calm down._

"You know Teal'c?" Bra'tac said. "Then you must be Tau'ri, no?"

Not wanting to waste time arguing details, he answered excitedly, "Yes! Teal'c is here, with the two Tau'ri you met on Chulak. Master Bra'tac, you have to help th--"

"I am trying to save your planet from this attack, human! Your friends have doomed themselves with their foolishness. I have been ordered to kill all of you. All I can do for you is to stop looking and slow the search for them." Bra'tac made as if to turn around and leave.

"Wait--but, but..." Not knowing what else to do, Daniel dropped to one knee with a fist over his heart in the most formal show of submission and respect that Teal'c had taught him. " _Tek'ma'tae, tel nol'tiak ma'waé--keest'ra._ We are not your enemies. Please, help us."

Looking astonished, Bra'tac finally said, in Goa'uld, as if as a test, " _You say you have learned from Teal'c, Tau'ri child?_ "

" _I have, Master._ "

"What is this?" Bra'tac asked, switching again to the Tau'ri language and holding up Sam's device.

"An explosive," Daniel explained, not looking up from where he knelt. "We have another one. Each is powerful enough to destroy a _hatak_ vessel. My friends are looking for the ring transporter to send the other bomb to Apophis's ship, and we will set the one in your hands to destroy this ship just before we leave through the _chaapa'ai_. We didn't know you were here, but help them, please, and then escape with us." He peeked upward.

Bra'tac warily held the bomb a few inches away from himself, then glared distrustfully back at Daniel. "They have been discovered already."

"Yes, I heard Klorel talking, I know. They don't know where the rings are."

The Jaffa Master finally nodded and became business-like. "There was an exchange of weapons fire from above. I believe I know where to find them."

Daniel looked up gratefully. " _Te ya daru, Tek'ma'tae_. Thank you." He rose and made as if to leave the room behind Bra'tac.

"Do not follow me, child!" Bra'tac snapped.

"I have to go back to the _chaapa'ai_."

But Bra'tac shook his head. "No, young fool! That room is now guarded. Remain here with your explosive--and keep the _zat'nik'tel_ in your hand, this time, and not on the ground where it does you no good, hm?"

The bomb was pushed into his hands again, and he fumbled with the offered _zat'nik'tel_ before catching it, staring at the wrong end for a second before remembering Jack's instruction and turning it back around. Bra'tac opened the door and strode out confidently without looking back. Daniel watched the door close behind the Jaffa, then put down the bomb and let out a slow breath.

Curious, he peered inside the sarcophagus again, even as it began to swing shut. For a moment, he wished with an absurd, unexplainable intensity that he could go back inside, while he was awake, just to try it and see what it was like. If it could heal him and make him feel so alive when he had been hurt _(hurt? Or dead?)_ to begin with, maybe a healthy person...

He shook himself, the impulse fading away. Stupid thought. He was healed--it was enough.

Daniel considered the door, suddenly, strangely eager to do something, _anything_. Then, sighing, he adjusted his grip on the _zat'nik'tel_ and crouched impatiently behind the sarcophagus to wait.

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; Klorel's Hatak; 2045 hrs_ **

"That door's not going to hold much longer," Carter said in warning, crouching by the entrance, her zat out and ready to fire on anyone who came through. More pounding came against the door, followed by what sounded like staff blasts. Teal'c primed his staff weapon, aiming at the door.

"Just a minute!" Jack shouted at the Jaffa outside from behind the pillar he was using as cover. "C'mon, Teal'c, tell me there's another way out of this room."

The Jaffa didn't look away from the door. "If there had been, O'Neill, I would have told you of it before now."

"Of course," Jack muttered. "I mean, is it possible that we might've missed a--"

Yelling broke out on the other side of the door, and then, all of a sudden, the pounding stopped.

Carter glanced at him. "Colonel? They just stopped."

"There's no cavalry coming for us, Captain," he said. "Be ready."

There was a final blast. The door burst open, and she fired immediately. The Jaffa who entered spun nimbly out of the way, kicking out and knocking her weapon from her hand. Jack raised his gun and was about to squeeze the trigger when Teal'c shouted, "O'Neill, do not!"

Jack ducked back, yelling back, "What! Why?" It wasn't Teal'c who answered, however.

"Humans! It is all I can do to keep you alive!"

That wasn't Goa'uld. And it wasn't just some random Jaffa, either. "Bra'tac?" Jack ventured. He looked more closely and saw a familiar, furious face staring back at him. "Uh..."

" _Tek'ma'tae_ , Bra'tac," Teal'c spoke up.

Bra'tac turned to the other Jaffa, saying much more warmly, "Hello again, old friend. I was beginning to doubt that you were truly here." His face hardened. "But you should not have come. I was preparing to lead my wing against Apophis in Klorel's name."

"Klorel?" Jack asked.

"The son of Apophis, _hasshak_! He commands this _hatak_ vessel."

Teal'c looked surprised, but then nodded in understanding. "Apophis would assume his son ordered your attack and reciprocate. A bold plan indeed."

"And one you have made impossible by coming here," Bra'tac replied. "I fear they will now band together against their common Tau'ri enemy instead. The Goa'uld know of your presence."

"Yeah," Jack said, glancing at the door. "I'd say that's pretty clear."

Bra'tac scowled at him. "Your Tau'ri _chal'ti_ claimed that you plan to send an explosive to the other ship. Do you have it?"

"Our Tau'ri--you mean Daniel? When did--" When the Jaffa's eyes narrowed impatiently, he answered, "Yeah, we've got the bomb. We're just looking for the control room to find the ring transporter. You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

"Of course I know. Come." He spun again and stepped out into the hallway, Teal'c falling in comfortably behind him.

With a final look around, Jack followed, stopping to scoop up the dropped zat gun and hand it back to his teammate. "Come, Carter," he parroted. She rolled her eyes but followed.

The corridor outside was littered with bodies. Jack raised his eyebrows, impressed that Bra'tac had managed that alone, even with surprise on his side. Teal'c noticed his gaze and told him, "A Goa'uld shock grenade. It can render many unconscious at once. However, we should not linger--the effects are not permanent. They will recover before long."

Jack stepped hurriedly past the fallen Jaffa.

"Apophis has already reached your sun system," Bra'tac whispered to them as they hid from a patrol of Jaffa who had been sent to search for them. "Once we arrive at the _peltak_ , we must wait until the two _hatak_ are close enough to transport from one to the other."

"How long will that be?"

"No more than one hour."

" _One hour?_ " Jack hissed incredulously. "That's how long we get before we're in Earth's orbit?" So much for ten years.

"We may not have even that long. Your friends on Earth have launched missiles toward these ships."

"But the shields," Carter said. "Our missiles could never get through."

Bra'tac glowered at them. "No, they could not. All they will do is make the Goa'uld accelerate their plans. Timing will now be essential: Apophis will have raised his ship's shields already, but this ship remains unprotected yet. We must allow Klorel to reach the _peltak_ and raise the shields, or we will be killed by your own friends before we can destroy Apophis' ship."

"Can't we just get there first and raise the shields ourselves?" Jack said.

"Are you familiar with the controls on a _hatak_ vessel, human?"

Jack grimaced. "Point taken. And for the record, we did warn them about the shields, so whoever ordered those missiles anyway aren't..."

"Silence!"

They shut up. A line of Jaffa marched past.

Bra'tac opened a door, gesturing for them to slip inside before following. He peered out through a crack, saying, "The Serpent Guards are even now preparing to do battle. They are moving toward the hangar where the _udajeet_ are docked."

"Death gliders," Teal'c clarified before Jack could open his mouth to ask.

"Okay. Captain, your naquadah bomb still okay?" When no answer came, he turned. "Carter, what're you--whoa."

"We're...approaching Earth," she said, sounding awed and staring out a window, where their planet was still small in the distance but steadily growing in size as they sped toward it. "I can't believe we got here so fast."

Bra'tac took a quick glance out the window as well. "I fear we may have less time than I imagined before we are above your planet. Come! The _peltak_ is not far from here." He peeked out the door again, then opened it, motioning them all through.

As they stepped out, the ship shuddered, making them stumble. "What was that?" Carter said.

"Something may have impacted the shields," Teal'c said.

Bra'tac nodded. "The Earth missile. We are close to being in range--I do not doubt Apophis is now near enough for us to reach through the transporter. Clearly our own shields have been raised, so Klorel must be in the _peltak_ already. Be prepared for many Jaffa guarding the--"

Before he could finish his sentence, they ran directly into another group of Serpent Guards.

Bra'tac opened fire immediately with his staff weapon, Jack close behind with his MP5. Carter grunted behind him, and he turned to see Teal'c pulling her away from a staff blast with one arm, both of them landing on the floor. As Teal'c recovered and came to his feet first, she sat up and reached around him to zat their attacker before another blast could follow. "We're surrounded!" she called to him. "They're coming from both sides!"

Jack shot at one more before reaching back for a grenade. Yanking out the pin, he lobbed it toward the end of the hall they'd come from and pulled Bra'tac back, yelling, "Fire in the hole!"

The force of the explosion made them stagger into each other. He looked back to make sure all the Serpent Guards were down before extracting himself from his teammates and turning forward. Two Jaffa still stood in their path, but Bra'tac dove out into the hallway and rolled to one knee, efficiently killing both with his staff.

"They will have heard us," he said to Jack, ordering, "We must run, quickly--this way!"

Finally, Bra'tac raised a hand to stop them. "Klorel, and likely his personal guards, are in here," he whispered. "I will go first and attempt to lead them away. Hopefully they have not yet learned of my betrayal. Can you detonate your explosive once inside?"

"It's on a sixty-second timer once I trigger it," Carter said, taking off her pack and extracting the bomb, tucking it securely under one arm while holding her zat in the other. She hesitated. "Are we sure the other ship is in range?"

"I believe it is," Bra'tac said, "but the only way to be sure is to attempt to use the rings. If we are in range, the explosive will be transported to Apophis's ship."

Jack frowned. "Yeah, and if we're not in range, we'll have sixty seconds before it blows up in our faces. I'll take it through to the other ship myself, trigger it if the rings work, and leave it there while I ring back."

"There may be enemies on the other ship," Teal'c said.

"And I'd have to show you how to set it," Carter added.

"All right, fine!" Jack said. "We all go through. Carter, you worry about the bomb and let us handle the snakeheads. Bra'tac, ready?"

With a nod, the Jaffa straightened his stance and walked boldly into the _peltak_. Jack leaned closer to listen to the muffled voices through the open door.

"Bra'tac," a Goa'uld said. "I detected an energy blast just now."

"My lord Klorel, the boy's Tau'ri companions have been found and captured using their own concussive weapons. I assume you would like to be present as they are executed. I will escort you to them."

A deep, distorted chuckle answered. "I have already had the pleasure of executing the boy. I will leave the others to you, Bra'tac--I have more important matters to attend to. Come--witness the power of your god."

Shock fell over Jack like ice, stealing his breath. There was only one thing--one person--Klorel could possibly mean by that.

Carter gasped almost soundlessly and looked to him, as if asking for a denial of what they had all heard, while Teal'c's eyes began to smolder with hatred. This, then, must have been how Bra'tac knew Daniel was onboard--how he knew _they_ were onboard, and what they were doing there.

Gritting his teeth, Jack reached into his vest to pull out his zat, letting go of the less maneuverable submachine gun. He readied himself to move and forced himself to keep listening to the conversation.

"My lord," Bra'tac was saying, "You cannot begin the attack."

A pause. "You dare to question me?"

"Your...your presence is required at the docking bay, my lord."

" _Kal tek_ , Jaffa! How dare you deceive your god?"

"Heads up," Jack whispered to his team, edging closer to the entrance as Teal'c and Carter moved around to the other side.

Bra'tac dropped all pretense, his voice carrying proudly through to them. "Because you are not a god. You are a parasite within a child, and I despise you!" A staff weapon primed, followed by several others within the peltak. Then Bra'tac cried out, " _Dal shakka mel_ \--I die free!"

"Go!" Jack rounded the door just as Bra'tac dropped to his knees, a ribbon device trained on his forehead. Jack shot the first Jaffa and Teal'c took the second from the other side, Carter behind him with the bomb clutched to her chest with one hand and her zat firing from her other. Taken by surprise, the four guards were quickly eliminated, and Teal'c grabbed Klorel, pulling the Goa'uld's arm away from Bra'tac.

Jack stared for a second, seeing the Goa'uld's face--his Abydonian face--for the first time. " _Skaara_?"

"Captain Carter, O'Neill, go!" Teal'c called. "I will hold him!"

Sparing a final glance for Skaara's face, Jack stepped toward the ring platform. Carter crouched beside him to fiddle with the edges of the encasing around her bomb while Jack took her zat and stood over her protectively with one in each hand. Bra'tac rose to reach for the control panel, but before the rings could be activated, a blast of energy slammed into the wall next to Teal'c, and he spun around, reaching for his zat gun as two more blasts came from behind. In the distraction, Klorel broke free and fled the room.

"Teal'c, leave him--go to the rings!" Bra'tac ordered, finishing at the controls. He stepped onto the platform as well, placing himself so that Carter was shielded between him and Jack. Three Serpent Guards came around the corner into the room, their staffs raised, and Jack had time to get off one shot before Teal'c reached the platform and the rings descended, engulfing them in a stream of white.

Apophis and his Jaffa were waiting when they rematerialized.

Carter rolled away, and Jack opened fire immediately, shifting to stay poised over her form while Teal'c and Bra'tac broke in opposite directions to fire on the Guards from the other side. " _Kree, Jaffa!_ " Apophis shouted, moving to keep his guards between himself and SG-1.

"Carter, anytime now!" Jack yelled, hearing hurried footsteps approaching from outside the room.

"Done, sir! We've got fifty...six seconds!"

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called, making Jack turn toward the door, where two more Jaffa were coming in. The first one caught him in the chest with the rod of a staff, throwing him to the ground, one of his zats clattering away. Empty-handed, Carter slammed herself bodily into his attacker, allowing Jack to push himself up while she grappled with him.

"Carter, get outta there!"

She landed one more solid kick in the gut, then backed away to take cover behind the _peltak_ , allowing Jack to fire on the entering Jaffa. The rings activated behind him, and he whirled in alarm to see Apophis being transported away. "Dammit, he's going back to the other ship! Bra'tac, get to the controls!"

Teal'c zatted the final Guard in the room, and they retreated to the platform, waiting for the rings to reset themselves while aiming their weapons at the entrances. "Thirty-three seconds!" Carter said anxiously.

The rings fell back into place over their heads. Bra'tac set the control panel and lunged for the platform just as the rings descended on them, bringing them back to--

\--an empty _peltak_.

"Where'd they go?" Jack said, scanning the room.

"They know they are losing. They flee," Bra'tac said as he bent to pick up a stray staff weapon, clearly preferring it to the zat. "It matters not. If we destroy this _hatak_ as well as the other, the attack on your planet will be stopped."

The ship shuddered violently, throwing them all to the floor.

"Now what!" Jack snapped, thinking that it would be just their luck if something catastrophic happened to them now.

But Carter was looking at her watch and grinning triumphantly. "The bomb on Apophis' ship just detonated, sir. Our external shields saved us from the blast, but their ship _must_ have been blown apart for us to have felt that. We just need to get back to the 'gate room and set the other bomb--"

"Crap," Jack said, realizing. "We left the other one with Daniel. Klorel must know where it is. He could've sent it to Earth already for all we know."

They stopped. "Oh, _Daniel_ ," Carter said, her smile dying immediately.

Bra'tac turned and snapped at them, "Your friend possesses it still and is awaiting our return. If we do not hurry, he and your bomb will undoubtedly be discovered. Come, now--we must reach the _chaapa'ai_ while the warriors on this ship are still in disarray!"

Confused, Jack ran after him saying, "I thought Klorel said he'd...killed Daniel?"

"Klorel is mistaken. He believes the boy dead, and so no one will be searching for him. He is, in fact, still in a room near the _chaapa'ai_."

God. Jack shook his head. No time for relief to make his limbs weak. He ran.

"Sir," Carter said as they went, "we still don't have GDOs, and we can't get to Earth anyway using this point of origin. Where do we 'gate to?"

"Which teams are off-world now?" he said, thinking of piggybacking on another team's IDC before quickly answering himself, "Never mind, Hammond recalled them all. For cryin' out loud, I'm not saving the planet just to get squished on the iris..."

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "General Hammond gave my wife and son a radio communicator."

"Land of Light, sir--P3X-797!" Carter agreed. "We can contact the SGC from there. But I don't know the coordinates for that world off the top of my head."

"I know the symbols," Teal'c said confidently.

"You'll dial, then, T." Jack thought for a moment--the submachine gun was faster than the zats and better for defending a position in a wide open space, so... He unclipped his and handed it to Carter, saying, "Give me your zat, Captain. You're gonna watch Teal'c's back as he's dialing while we go get Daniel. And the bomb."

"The _chaapa'ai_ is just ahead," Bra'tac told them. "Your explosive is in the room beyond--"

Bra'tac was abruptly cut off as Jack pulled him out of the way, letting zat energy sizzle past them both while Teal'c and Carter took care of the offending Jaffa. More Serpent Guards followed from both ends of the corridor, and Bra'tac moved a few paces ahead to flip open a door switch, calling, "To the _chaapa'ai_ \--in here!"

They ran in to find the Stargate just as they had left it. "Any more grenades, sir?" Carter suggested breathlessly.

"No," he said shortly, because Dr. Jackson had taken the last of the other grenades back on Earth. "Eyes on the door--that's their bottleneck. Get 'em as they come in." Carter and the two Jaffa took positions within the room, while Jack stood near the door. "Here they come!"

Between the four of them, they felled the first wave of Serpent Guards, and the onslaught paused for the moment. Jack stuffed his zat gun into his vest, leaving his hands free to grab the bomb when they got there, then turned and looked at the Stargate. "Teal'c, start dialing." Teal'c moved to the DHD. "Bra'tac, we need to go get--"

"Colonel!"

Jack whirled to see two more Jaffa rushing through the door, staff weapons at the ready. Bra'tac fired at one, who dodged as Carter fired on him as well. The second swung his staff around to Jack, who reached for his weapon, knowing even then it was too late--

Then, the Serpent Guard twitched and dropped to the ground. Daniel stood in the doorway, a zat gun in his hand and staring as the Jaffa fell at his feet.

"God, Daniel!" Jack said, rushing forward to grab him by the shoulders and look over him quickly. "Are you okay? We were just going to find you."

"There's no need," Daniel said, actually _grinning_ , his face flushed, sounding practically giddy--adrenaline rush, Jack decided, not having the time to spare more than a glance at him now. "I heard the fight as you were coming back, so I thought it must be time to go."

"Daniel, quick, where's the other bomb?" Carter asked.

"Uh..." He shook himself, then said, "Oh, I-I brought it. It's out here." He put down his zat and took several quick steps outside. Teal'c began dialing, and Daniel came back holding the bomb in both hands to give to Sam, who immediately handed her gun back to Jack and set the bomb down behind the Stargate ring to open the encasing and start setting the timer.

Teal'c slammed his hand on the DHD crystal and stepped back to join the rest of the group. The vortex _whooshed_ outward. Carter flinched at the proximity but kept working.

"Almost set. And...sixty seconds," she announced. "The Stargate naquadah will only enhance the blast."

"I heard more Jaffa coming while I was in the hallway," Daniel said almost casually from where he still stood at the door, staring at the event horizon, though he bounced restlessly on the balls of his feet. "They're--"

A Serpent Guard appeared behind him. Jack raised his gun. "Daniel!"

" _Kree, chal'ti, yahs!_ " Teal'c said suddenly. Reacting without question, Daniel dropped flat to the ground, and Jack squeezed the trigger. The Jaffa slumped forward, dead, and Daniel scrambled away just in time to avoid being crushed by the falling body, then reached for his own zat and sprang to his feet, hurrying toward the rest of them.

"Everyone through the Stargate!" Jack called. Carter, the closest, came around from the back and ran through first. Teal'c pulled Daniel the last few steps toward them and hurtled through as well. Bra'tac stopped at the top of the platform that held the ring.

"I will stay and ensure that no one follows," he declared, his zat gun pointed at the door.

"Like hell you will," Jack growled. He fired at one last Jaffa at the entrance, grabbed Bra'tac by his collar, and shoved him through the ring before diving toward the event horizon himself.


	18. Saved and Lost

**_13 April 1998; Land of Light (P3X-797); 2200 hrs_ **

The wormhole deactivated shortly after Jack tumbled out onto grass-covered ground. He rolled to his feet and caught a glimpse of Bra'tac's face before a fist shot out and landed on his nose.

"Ah, God!" Sinking back to the ground, he held a hand to his face and glared up at the Jaffa through watering eyes. "What was that for?"

"That, human, was for disrupting my original plan, nearly destroying my chance to save your world, and then endangering the success of your own plan," Bra'tac snapped.

Jack clambered up again, indignant. "Hey! It is _our_ world to save." He checked his hand and, content to see he wasn't bleeding, went on, "Besides, our plan saved _your_ butt, and its success wasn't endangered just because I didn't leave you to blow up with the ship!"

"Hm," Bra'tac snorted. "We did not see Klorel's ship destroyed. We must wait to see whether we did in fact succeed. We cannot know from here if your planet was attacked."

"Optimistic, aren't you?" Jack said.

Bra'tac's lips twitched upward, and he held out his hand. "It was a daring plan," he allowed, making it sound like a compliment. "Not bad at all."

Looking cautiously at the Jaffa's face a minute longer, Jack stepped forward and clasped the man's arm with a grudgingly respectful, "Not bad, yourself."

Only then did he look around. They were alone in the woods, and he narrowed his eyes warily, picking his gun up from the ground and clipping it on. After the hellish day they'd just had, the last thing he needed or wanted was for something to be wrong with their little safe haven of a destination.

"Is it just me," he commented, scanning their surroundings, "or is this awfully dark for the Land of Light?"

"The Stargate's on the Dark side, sir," Carter reminded him, turning on another flashlight to give at least a little light. "But it's okay--the disease has been eliminated."

Feeling a little silly, he lowered the gun. "Of course. All right, first off...everyone okay?"

The two Jaffa were on their feet and showing no discomfort at all, and Carter picked herself up, calling out a quick "yes, sir." Jack's gaze zoomed in on Daniel who was standing and still staring at the now-inactive Stargate. "Huh," he said mildly.

Carter laughed suddenly. "Sir--we did it."

Daniel joined in, exhilarated by the escape. "You saved the world!" Even Teal'c was smiling, and Bra'tac didn't protest this time. Unless the bomb had failed--and Carter's gadgets tended not to fail--there weren't a lot of other ways that could have ended.

Deciding they deserved a minute for themselves, Jack walked forward to cover the few steps between himself and where Daniel was grinning at him. He pulled the boy into a fierce hug and felt arms closing around him in return, finally, _finally_ reassuring him that they'd really all made it and hadn't gotten a boy killed needlessly. "Don't do that to us again, kid, you hear me?" he said.

Jack let go with one arm to pull Carter in for a quick embrace. "Good work on those bombs, Captain. Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"That's not always preventable, sir," she dared when he released her, blushing even as she flashed a bright smile at him and Teal'c and the back of Daniel's head. Bra'tac looked half-wary and half-amused by their odd Tau'ri actions but gave each of them a respectful nod. Teal'c merely smiled knowingly.

Eventually Jack remembered that, even assuming Earth was still in one piece (which it was, it definitely _was_ ), the SGC probably thought they were dead, so he pulled away, leaving a protective hand resting against Daniel's back. "Teal'c, you know where we need to go?"

"I will proceed alone to my wife's dwelling," Teal'c said. "The people here recognize me--there is no need for all of you to come."

"Thanks," Jack answered.

By the time Teal'c had disappeared into the woods, Jack could feel tiny shivers running through Daniel's body, so he pushed him down to sit by the Stargate, taking away the zat still in his hand and passing it to Carter. "Hey, kid. You wanted to go through the 'gate when your life wasn't in peril, huh? I think you need to work on that last part."

Daniel giggled, then cut himself off, looking mortified.

Frowning, Carter crouched down, touching Daniel's upper arm and reaching around to his back. "What the..." She looked at her hand, and Jack caught a glimpse of glistening, dark fluid before she hurriedly lifted his shirt. "Are you hurt? Where's this blood coming from?"

"Oh, it's not my blood, mostly," Daniel said, not sounding perturbed at all, batting her away and waving a hand carelessly. "That was the Jaffa you shot, Jack. I think he died right over me. He kind of splattered."

Immediately rethinking 'adrenaline rush' in favor of 'in shock,' Jack peered closely at him. "You feeling okay, there?"

"Fine," he answered, then had to stifle another laugh, his brow furrowing. "Sorry--I don't know why I keep doing that."

"I have seen this before," Bra'tac spoke up, "on the rare occasion that a person who is not Goa'uld is allowed to make repeated use of a sarcophagus."

Jack's head whipped around to the Jaffa. "A _sarcophagus_? When the hell did this happen?"

Bra'tac frowned. "I told you that Klorel thought the boy dead, did I not? I revived him myself."

Jack reeled, placing a hand on Daniel's head to make sure he was still there. "Revi-- _revived_ him? You mean he... Holy..." He raked his fingers through his own hair in disbelief that that had happened without their even knowing about it. "He was supposed to be safer there--we _left_ him there, because... _god_."

Carter tipped Daniel's chin upward and showed the unbroken skin under the blood. "Everything's healed," she confirmed, sounding shaken herself. "Not even a cut or a bruise."

"The effects he now experiences will fade shortly, with no lasting effects," Bra'tac assured them. "I have seen some who were much, much worse."

"It'll fade? You're sure about that, right?" Jack said, wishing again that they'd 'gated onto the ship just a little earlier, so they could have sent Daniel back to Earth, where he should have been the whole time. Holy crap--what the hell had happened while they were trying to get to the other ship? "Look, I saw his parents use that thing, and they didn't get... _giggly_ afterward."

"But the boy has made use of a sarcophagus before, no?"

"In a way," Daniel answered for himself, then stood, moving away restlessly. "Before I was born."

"Nuh-uh," Jack said, grabbing his shirt and pulling him back. "That's the last time I let you out of my sight off-world." As long as it was just temporary--and Bra'tac would know better than they would--they'd deal with it. Better than...geez. Definitely better.

Once Jack had Daniel's arm in a firm grip and was sure he wouldn't wander off, Carter turned to Bra'tac. "Well. I guess... If everyone's okay, where are you going from Earth?"

"I will return to Chulak," Bra'tac said.

"Is that a good idea?" she said. "You must have been under suspicion already, after the last time we went there."

"And we didn't see Apophis or Klorel on our way back to the Stargate," Jack added, tugging sharply when Daniel started to walk away again into the darkness. "With a head start on us and not needing to stop to shoot at their own Guards...they could've managed to escape. They're not gonna to be too happy to see you on Chulak."

"My place is there," Bra'tac insisted. "At the very least, I must return to see if circumstances have changed after this latest blow to Apophis."

"They won't be guarding the Stargate?"

Bra'tac smirked. "In each shift, there is at least one Jaffa who is loyal to me and to our cause."

"Well, if you're sure," Carter said.

"In a rebellion," he told her, "one can never be completely sure."

"Well, that's cheery," Jack commented. "You know, you could always come back here. Teal'c's son doesn't have anyone to train him."

"That is true," Bra'tac said noncommittally.

Carter wandered over to the DHD, staring at the now-familiar glyphs. "I guess we'll owe Dr. Jackson an apology for doubting him when we get back. Maybe we can have him stay on with us, sir, since they said the mirror was destroyed--imagine how much help he could be, with his knowledge and his experiences." When she saw his expression, her smile faded. "I--I know it might be a little weird at first, what with his history with the other SG-1, but..."

"That's...not the problem, Captain," Jack said.

"Sir?"

"Ah..." Jack glanced at Daniel, who seemed somewhat distracted but appeared to be listening, then decided he'd find out eventually anyway and turned back to Carter. "Remember when the Jaffa started coming through the mirror on base? When we first heard the alarms, Dr. Jackson went down to the subbasement. That's...why we were short a gun and a grenade."

"But there was an...explosion...oh." Her eyes widened. "Oh, God."

"Yeah. It's possible that...well, we won't know for sure until we get back, but, yeah, probably. It's a miracle he made it past all the Jaffa to get down there in the first place."

Her expression showed the same flicker of uneasy sorrow that Jack felt himself. Dr. Jackson had died for them--for their whole reality, of course, but also for _them_ , personally, to watch their backs, because to him, they were close friends. It felt cheap to be unable to see him the same way, but how _should_ they mourn a man who knew them, and whom they didn't know in return?

"Once we get back," Jack said quietly, "we'll need to find out what happened on base just before we left. Everyone who helped buy us the time to get through the 'gate...they'll all be honored as heroes, Captain."

Carter nodded. "Yes, sir."

Daniel tried to pull his arm away, making an impatient sound when Jack didn't let go. "He spoke twenty-three languages," he said out of the blue. At their looks, he clarified, "Dr. Jackson. He told Robert and me. And he had as many PhDs as both of my parents together."

"That's...impressive," Jack said, unable to suppress the thought that that should be _their_ Daniel, too--someone who went to school and earned too many degrees and didn't get dragged through Stargates with a knife at his throat. Then again, those degrees didn't make the alternate Dr. Jackson any less dead. "He was a courageous man. A _good_ man."

"He's dead, isn't he," Daniel said, because no one had ever claimed he was slow on the uptake. "That's what you mean."

"I think so," Jack said frankly. He loosened his grip a bit and rubbed his thumb against Daniel's arm. "We'll see when we get back. Stop thinking about it for now." Daniel didn't obey this time, though, and fell silent, slumping a little and losing the giddy air he'd had about him before.

Bra'tac snapped to attention, warning, "Someone approaches."

Jack pushed an unresisting Daniel behind himself while reaching for his zat, Carter priming her own next to him. Land of Light or not, they were all still a little on edge, and he'd rather be prepared than taken by surprise. It was a few more seconds before he heard the rustle of leaves announcing someone's footsteps. "Teal'c?" he called cautiously, pointing his zat in that direction.

"It is I, O'Neill," Teal'c's voice greeted them, a few moments before he walked into sight, another figure at his side. They lowered their weapons.

"Master Bra'tac," Drey'auc said. "It is good to see you."

"And you as well, Drey'auc," Bra'tac responded. "How is your son?"

"He is asleep," she said. "I did not wish to wake him only to see his father leave him again so soon." Teal'c frowned but did not say anything in argument. She held out the radio General Hammond had given them. "My husband says you have need of this."

"Carter?" Jack said, jerking his head toward the DHD. She nodded and turned to begin dialing Earth. He took the radio from Teal'c's wife, squinting at it in the dark. "Sorry to drop in on you folks like this, but we didn't have anywhere else we could go."

The sudden light from the vortex lit the night as Carter finished dialing, and it settled back into the familiar, rippling pool.

"Well, let's hope someone picks up on the other end," Jack said, holding his breath as he found the right frequency and sent the signal that would alert the base.

A familiar voice came through the communicator. " _This is General Hammond of the SGC._ "

Jack breathed again, answering, "General, this is SG-1, calling from P3X-797. Please tell me that--"

" _We've been receiving reports from all over the nation of two brilliant fireballs in the night sky. Both Goa'uld ships were successfully eliminated, Colonel O'Neill. As for you, we've been fearing the worst--I'm glad we were wrong._ "

Carter sighed in relief, and even Bra'tac nodded in satisfaction. "All here, safe and sound, sir," Jack said, "and requesting entry for SG-1, Master Bra'tac, and Daniel Jackson."

He imagined that he could hear the smile in Hammond's voice. " _Come on through, SG-1, and your passengers, too. We've all been waiting for you._ "

Jack handed the radio back to Drey'auc. "Thanks again, ma'am and give our best to Rya'c." Turning to the rest of them, he said, "You heard the man, people. We're going home."

XXXXX

**_13 April 1998; SGC, Earth; 2300 hrs_ **

"It's not his," Jack told Fraiser while they were in the infirmary for their check-up, nodding toward the blood on the back of Daniel's shirt. "Mostly. He's not hurt, anyway." She paused in the middle of taking Daniel's vitals, and her eyes flicked up to Jack. She finished without a word, then opened a drawer and pulled out a fresh set of hospital scrubs.

"Do you want to get changed while I give everyone else their check-up, sweetie?" Fraiser suggested to Daniel. "Take a quick shower, rinse all that off." Daniel stared at her blankly for a moment, then looked back down at his blood-speckled arm. Instead of the nonchalance he'd shown in the Land of Light, he paled suddenly and didn't even pause to nod before taking the offered scrubs and fairly running to the shower in the back.

Whatever the sarcophagus had done seemed to be wearing off, as Bra'tac had said it would, and Daniel had stopped laughing at inappropriate moments and was mostly just a little restless and twitchy now. It was less disconcerting, though the almost complete silence was starting to become worrisome, as well.

"The rest of us aren't hurt, either," Carter said when Daniel had closed the door behind him. "The colonel was walloped in the ribs and we all got tossed around a bit, but that's it."

"Bruised, is all," Jack insisted, glaring at the captain. He didn't say anything further, though; they'd just saved the world, after all. Some latitude was in order.

"So it would seem," Fraiser agreed after inspecting for herself. "Well, then, SG-1. You know the drill--vitals and tox screen. I've got your blood already, so...who's first?"

"I don't think a tox screen is necessary, Doc," he complained, belatedly, since the needle-sticking part was already over with. "It's not like we ate or drank anything foreign."

"You first, then, Colonel O'Neill," she told him. "And rules are rules. For all I know, the air on the ship contained some substance toxic to humans that will kill you in a few hours, and if a blood analysis can show it, I'm taking your blood."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "You don't seriously believe that..."

"No, I don't. Now push up your sleeve." With a last roll of his eyes, Jack complied as she wrapped a cuff around his arm. "Now, all three of you look fine, more or less, but," Fraiser said, not taking her eyes from where she was working, " _is_ anything wrong? With anyone?" She glanced up to jerk her head slightly toward the shower room and commented, "I haven't seen Daniel so quiet in...ever, I think. A bit of a change in mood from everyone in the 'gate room."

Many people who'd been at the SGC during the announcement of a possible attack had stayed at the Mountain, and they seemed determined to make up for the long day of fears about Armageddon by having an impromptu party in the embarkation room, which the general was graciously ignoring.

"He's... It's kind of a lot to take in, Doc," Jack said.

"So shock, or something else?" she pressed. "I need to know, Colonel. He's not a soldier who's trained to deal with this kind of thing."

It was Teal'c who answered, "Master Bra'tac indicated that Daniel Jackson was killed or badly injured, and was later revived in a sarcophagus."

Fraiser straightened up very fast in the middle of taking Jack's pulse, which made her have to start again. "That's the healing technology?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "We don't know what happened, exactly; we weren't there." She glanced up again, and though he saw only surprise in her eyes, he couldn't help thinking _you-left-him-there-on-his-own-look-what-happened-what-the-hell-happened.._. "Bra'tac says the sarcophagus can make you...ah... You didn't see him before, Doc--it was like he was...kind of... _high_ on something." She raised her eyebrows, and he clarified, "Like...floaty and a little too happy, you know? But Bra'tac also said it was temporary, and mild, compared to cases he's seen before."

"I see," Fraiser said, not giving anything away with her tone as she moved toward Carter. "I'll make sure to do his blood work first, then. And also--"

The door to the shower room opened, and Daniel stepped out, dressed in the clean scrubs, his hair slightly wet as if he'd stood under the water to make sure all traces of blood were gone. "What..." He cleared his throat. "My other clothes--what should I..."

"Leave them there," Fraiser told him. "We'll take care of them."

He glanced back at the discarded BDU trousers and T-shirt, then dropped his gaze. "Sorry. Do I...should I leave now?"

"Actually, I was just about to tell your friends that I'm going to have to ask you to stay the night here for observation, because of the--"

"The sarcophagus," he finished flatly. "I understand."

Unsurprised by his lack of argument--or, at least, unfazed--Fraiser patted one of the gurneys. "Why don't you have a seat while I'm finishing up with Captain Carter and Teal'c."

When she finally left, their blood samples in hand, Jack started, "Daniel, are--"

Hammond strode in. "Sorry to have to drag you all away from that party going in my 'gate room," he said with a wry smile, "but I do need to get a basic idea of what happened tonight before I let you go." He looked over them all, pausing. They were all still standing and still in uniform, minus the vests and weapons, except for Daniel. "I...assumed everyone was unhurt, but maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to think that."

"No one's injured, at the moment," Jack said, "but there's a part of the story we don't know about. We were separated almost the entire time."

Hammond narrowed his eyes but nodded. "All right, Colonel. Tell me what you do know, then, from the beginning. We saw what happened in the embarkation room, up until Teal'c went through the 'gate with Mr. Jackson and the Jaffa holding him hostage, but we're all in the dark about what happened after that."

"Well, Teal'c was able to...I guess, confuse the Jaffa and pass a message to Daniel at the same time, which enabled them to act together with minimal injury to either of them. The room on the other side was empty, and we were able to kill the hostile before anyone got more than some scrapes and bruises."

"Thank God for that," Hammond said. "We knew you hadn't brought GDOs with you, so we were about to send the MALP. SG-2 was also prepared to go after you to bring you your GDOs or provide assistance if necessary, not to mention bringing Mr. Jackson back, but we were unable to establish a connection."

Carter explained, "The ship went into hyperspace right after we went through, sir. The coordinates you had became invalid just moments after we got there. In a way, we were actually very fortunate that the Jaffa tried to attack the base--otherwise, we wouldn't have left for almost another half hour, and they would've been on their way here before we could stop them."

"What happened here, General?" Jack asked soberly. "We've...figured out the part with Dr. Jackson and the mirror, but the gunfight outside the 'gate room just stopped all of a sudden."

"There were several casualties," Hammond said gravely, "but the majority of the people on base who went down were only stunned, though we're not sure how yet. When they woke up, we thought they'd been blinded, but it wore off fairly fast, and they're fine now."

"A Goa'uld shock grenade," Teal'c said. Hammond opened his mouth, then closed it, looking resigned to just accepting new technologies he'd never heard of.

"Well, anyway," Jack said, "once we were onboard, Daniel stayed in the room to hide along with one of our bombs, and the three of us took the other. It was basically hours of trying to dodge patrols while looking for the ring transporter. Bra'tac eventually found us when we were pinned down with nowhere to go and got us out to the control room."

"Were missiles sent from Earth?" Carter asked, looking a little annoyed. "Something hit the ship while we were moving through. I thought we told everyone the ships had to be destroyed from the inside."

"Unfortunately," Hammond said in distaste, "it was out of my hands. Since we were unable to contact you after that unexpected departure, they thought it best to assume you hadn't made it. They believed their warheads were powerful enough to disrupt any shields the Goa'uld ships might have. Obviously, they were wrong. To be fair, the Pentagon couldn't be expected just to sit tight and do nothing as we were attacked, not when we didn't know if you were even still alive."

"Yes, sir," Jack said. "Well, it just made the snakes mad and fast-tracked their plans. Cut our time pretty short. Anyway, with Bra'tac's help, we set a bomb in Apophis's ship, met up with Daniel, set the other bomb in Klorel's ship, and went to the Land of Light to contact you."

"Klorel?" General Hammond asked.

"The son of Apophis, sir," Jack explained. Daniel flinched slightly at that description but remained silent. "He was the Goa'uld in charge of the ship we 'gated to."

"Fair enough," Hammond said, then turned to Daniel. "I will need to know what happened to you, as well," he said, "but if you'd prefer to wait until later, I understand, son. We'll need to do a full debrief later, anyway, for details."

Daniel glanced at SG-1 and wrapped his arms around himself. "I can--"

"Why don't we wait 'til later, if there's nothing you need to tell the general right away," Jack interrupted, despite his own burning need to know _what the hell had happened_. Unexpectedly, Daniel nodded without any argument and looked down at his feet. "If that's all right, sir?"

"Of course," Hammond said immediately. "Under the circumstances, I think it's fair to say that you've all earned a few days off--we'll go over everything next Monday. And, SG-1...we're indebted to you for what you've done for this world. Welcome home."

When he'd gone, Jack said, "You're sure nothing happened, Daniel?" And then, because something must have happened that required reviving, he amended, "Anything you need to talk about, I mean?"

"Did you see Klorel?" was Daniel's response.

Ah. He should have guessed that that was coming. "Yeah, we did. Skaara. Daniel--"

"The sarcophagus was his," Daniel told the floor. "Klorel came in with his Guards just after I'd been thrown from my hiding place after leaving hyperspace, and they saw the bomb. I stunned the Jaffa with my _zat'nik'tel_ , but--"

"All of them?" Jack said, trying to sound encouraging but genuinely a little impressed. "Not bad, kid."

Daniel grimaced. "There were only two, they were right next to me, and I still missed a few times, so it wasn't..." He exhaled sharply. "Anyway, I forgot to watch for Klorel. He caught me and...used the _djera'kesh_ on me for a while." Teal'c scowled.

"That's what Klorel was using on Bra'tac?" Carter clarified.

Teal'c answered, his voice coming out as a growl, "The Goa'uld often use the _djera'kesh_ for punishment, as it was for Master Bra'tac. It can also be used to torture a person to unconsciousness or death."

Jack felt horror rise within him. Daniel had been hurt badly enough to need a sarcophagus, but he had been thinking of something quick--a zat, maybe, or even a staff blast. This...this definitely sounded worse. "And it--"

"But he stopped," Daniel spoke up, a little desperately. "He stopped, not for long, but...but he recognized me, and I thought I heard him call me by my name. I saw his face, and it was _him_ , not the Goa'uld." He braced his foot against the side of the gurney, tapping it agitatedly. "It was Skaara."

"He stopped?" Jack asked, trying not to let his skepticism show through, because Daniel so wanted Skaara to still be alive in there somewhere.

"Just for...for a minute," Daniel admitted. "And then Bra'tac interrupted him. After that..." His foot began to tap faster. "And then Klorel came back, and, uh...and I guess Bra'tac put me in the sarcophagus. When I woke up, I told him what you were trying to do, and he left me there while he went to find you."

"And then you came looking for us on your own when you heard gunfire?" Jack couldn't help saying, as Dr. Fraiser came back into the room. "The hallways were swarming with hostiles, Daniel."

Carter narrowed her eyes. "Colonel, I don't think this is the time for a performance review--"

"No," Daniel interrupted, frustrated. "He's right. I knew it was dangerous. It didn't...I can't believe it now, but it just didn't seem like a problem when I was on the _hatak_. I don't have an excuse for why I was acting so... _stupid_. I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry, Jack."

He looked miserable and like he was trying to sink into the gurney, which made Jack feel like a bastard for bringing it up now.

Frasier walked toward them. "I've been thinking about the side effects of the sarcophagus that Master Bra'tac mentioned."

Jack didn't take his eyes off Daniel. "Yeah?"

"I've noticed that 'gate travel often seems to cause a small, short-lived increase in endorphins, even when the mission is peaceful, perhaps as a response to the physical stress of reintegration. That's what I found in all three of you, but Daniel's endorphin levels were actually lower than they should have been, considering what you all went through."

"And?" he prompted impatiently when she didn't go on right away.

"And, with the symptoms you described, I'm starting to wonder whether the sarcophagus might have some kind of narcotic effect that he had already started to come _down_ from by the time you got back to Earth. If that's the case, then I wouldn't be surprised if he was acting more reckless or careless than usual shortly after using the device."

"Whoa, hold it--a narcotic?" Jack echoed.

"It's a _possibility_ ," she stressed. "The blood work came back abnormal--not inconsistent with narcotic withdrawal--but not what I'd call really alarming. Even Master Bra'tac said the symptoms didn't seem severe, in his experience, and that they'd wear off on their own."

Jack's brain was still caught on ' _narcotic_ ,' though, and he didn't have to know anything about medicine to know about _that_ , so he had to ask, "It's not addictive or anything, right?"

Frasier watched Daniel notice and forcibly stop his restlessly tapping foot. "I would like to keep him here overnight for monitoring, just in case it's more serious than that. Whether or not the sarcophagus's effects can be potentially addictive, however, I think he'll be all right, after just this one use. It's not like we have one here he can use regularly and get hooked on."

Worried when Daniel didn't complain about being talked about, instead of talked to, Jack teased, "Hear that? Didn't I tell you not to get yourself killed? You're not allowed to from now on--doctor's orders."

"She didn't say that," Daniel argued half-heartedly. "Just that I couldn't use the sarcophagus again."

Jack was pretty sure there wasn't any hidden message in that--Daniel sometimes said things without thinking about them first and was probably just too tired now to realize what it sounded like he was saying--but the idea of Daniel getting killed and _not_ being revived still made him stop breathing for a moment, and beside him Carter straightened a little in concern.

"You've all had quite a night," Frasier said more gently, directly to Daniel this time. "And like I said, your endorphin levels were probably elevated for a while, but they'll be low now. It could make you feel a little...out of sorts, Daniel--that's to be expected, but it'll pass. We just have to wait until everything stabilizes."

Jack shook his head. "His parents never showed any side effects at all, except being alive and healthy."

Frasier paused, then said, "Yes, sir, and I have a few ideas about why. Area 51 research has shown that the power source of a sarcophagus emits some kind of energy that's similar to what's emitted by other Goa'uld devices they've found, particularly ones that require naquadah in the bloodstream to work. Now, this isn't a theory we can really test, but it could be that there's some reaction caused by naquadah in the blood that exacerbates the effects of a sarcophagus."

That caught Daniel's attention. "What? I don't...do I?"

She looked a little surprised. "I requested the results of your blood test at Area 51 as part of your medical records, and they did find small traces of naquadah in your blood. No one told you?"

"No, I was sick, so they just sent me home, but...that's impossible," he said, bewildered.

"Not really," she told him, seeming unconcerned. "I suspect it's just like any other metal. It would be present in trace amounts in Abydonian water, and probably plants and animals there, and it builds up in your body if you're continually ingesting it. The amount they found in you is much lower than what Cassie has or what they found in Hathor's host, but it takes a long time to be cleared from the body. There's still a low concentration in your blood and other tissues. I'm not overly worried about it," she added, looking at Jack, "since we don't know of any toxic side effects in humans living on naquadah-rich planets, but I am starting to monitor the blood levels of all SG field personnel who would be exposed to environmental naquadah, just in case."

"But I couldn't use those Goa'uld devices they made me try," Daniel persisted.

"I'm not surprised; maybe your blood levels are too low. And there's probably something else in the Goa'uld body needed for that. They identified some protein markers in Hathor's host--it could be one of those and have nothing at all to do with naquadah. But, for all I know, the naquadah, or your...unconventional, previous exposure to the sarcophagus might make you more susceptible to certain things."

Daniel dropped his eyes back to the floor. "Things like a second exposure?"

"Possibly. Maybe other substances. Some people are physiologically more vulnerable to addictions of various types; we don't know if or how the sarcophagus may have affected your biochemistry." When he began to look alarmed, she added, "But I don't think you need to worry. You should be fine as long as you don't start bad habits, like using a sarcophagus all the time."

"We'll make sure that won't be necessary," Jack said firmly.

Carter was looking thoughtful. "Janet, how much do you know about the research they're doing on Hathor's sarcophagus at Area 51?"

"It might be more dangerous than we originally assumed, in light of this," Frasier said, understanding Carter's meaning. "We definitely need to look into it some more."

The door swung open, making them look around to see Robert Rothman walk in. He stopped when he saw them all there but didn't turn around. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Jack shrugged when Frasier looked to him, and she replied, "No, Dr. Rothman, we were just finishing up. Do you need something? It's a little late to be sticking around base."

"It's not like anyone actually went home after we were told about ships about to attack," he pointed out. "And I heard about--" His eyes flicked anxiously to Daniel. "I heard about what happened in the embarkation room before you left, so I guess I just wanted to...uh, see if you were okay, Daniel. And to say...you know, congratulations, and thanks for saving our lives and whatnot," he added to SG-1, as an afterthought.

"I'm fine," Daniel said, looking up to make brief eye contact and then away again. "I'll be in tomorrow, if Dr. Frasier lets me."

Rothman and Frasier both opened their mouths at the same time, but Jack beat them to it. "The general said to take some time off, remember?"

"I'm not SG-1, Jack. I wasn't even supposed to be there."

"But you _were_ there. You shot at least three hostiles that I know of. That counts."

Eyebrows raised, Rothman said, a little nervously, "You know, Daniel, that's not what archaeologists usually mean when we say 'fieldwork.' Sounds like quite a story." He hesitated when no answer came. "Uh, everything _is_ fine, right?"

"Yeah, what happened to 'we saved the world,' huh?" Carter prodded. "That's gotta be worth a little vacation time."

With a forced, hollow-sounding laugh, Daniel said, "Sorry--you're right. There's a party--you should all go celebrate."

Rothman looked confused and not a little concerned; Jack subtly gestured with his head toward the door, mouthing _'later_. _'_ Not understanding, the archaeologist nonetheless said, "Well, I just wanted to check. Um, goodnight. And, Daniel, don't worry about anything in the office tomorrow." He hovered another few seconds, until Daniel nodded, then turned and left.

"I'm serious," Daniel told SG-1, "I saw Major Ferretti trying to get your attention in the 'gate room, Jack. Everyone's celebrating--you should go. I'm just going to go to sleep or something--it's been a...an odd day."

Frasier quietly stepped out of the room as well at a look from Carter, who told Daniel, "You can say that again. It's been a long day for all of us. You know, in a way, it's a good thing you were there, after all. Bra'tac might not have gotten to us in time to pull us out of the frying pan otherwise."

"And into the fire?" he replied unenthusiastically.

"Bad choice of words," she admitted. "I didn't realize you'd picked up that saying."

" _Good_ choice of words, Captain," Jack corrected, "since we were actually trying to _get_ into the fire without getting burned too much, except we were stuck in the...frying pan." Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him. "Too much?"

"People all over the _hatak_ knew you were there," Daniel said, completely ignoring the attempt at banter. "If Master Bra'tac had found you, he would have recognized you right away. I had to let him think I was Tau'ri and...and tell him I knew Teal'c, and then beg him on my knees in Goa'uld before he would listen to me."

"You also zatted a guy who was about to shoot me, space monkey," Jack reminded him again. "Call me crazy, but I think of that as a good thing. Thanks, by the way."

Teal'c folded his hands behind his back. "Master Bra'tac was impressed by your presence of mind in the face of danger, Daniel Jackson."

Instead of taking it as the compliment that it was, though, Daniel pulled his feet up and hugged his legs. "The danger wasn't the part that bothered me. Just, when Skaara--" He twitched. " _Klorel_ came out and used the..." He buried his face in his knees. " _Naturu_ \--gods. It...it _hurt_."

Jack had a feeling Daniel didn't just mean the way the hand device had felt physically.

"Hey, hey." Jack boosted himself onto the gurney beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "We should never have let that happen, and I'm sorry it did, but that wasn't Skaara, Daniel. That's one thing you have to remember. Your brother would never want to hurt you." He'd never felt for himself what a ribbon device did, but anything that could bring Bra'tac to his knees _(and kill Daniel, Jesus, it had killed him)_ couldn't be good.

Daniel took an unsteady breath, and then he said, his face still hidden, "Do you think Sha'uri was on the ship?"

Jack and Carter both looked to Teal'c, who seemed surprised. The thought hadn't crossed any of their minds. "We heard no mention of Apophis's queen," Teal'c said.

"She's _not_ just his queen."

"We know," Jack said quickly. He squeeze Daniel's arm. "We know."

"I kept wishing to see him again, him and Sha'uri, and when I finally did, it was..." A shudder ran down Daniel's back. "He was still there, inside. Klorel said that my brother...s-suffered greatly...but he was still _in there_ , he remembered me, I heard him say my name. He just c-couldn't do anything. His face was...gods, he knew what was happening, he could see everything, but..."

"Oh, Daniel," Carter soothed, combing her fingers through his still-damp hair. Daniel didn't lift his head, but at the contact, his shoulders started to shake. Jack thought at first that he was crying, but when he brought his other arm around to encircle him, he could hear the ragged breathing of someone trying to hold back his tears. Carter was still gently stroking his hair. "Shh, it's okay. It...it'll _be_ okay."

Daniel didn't unfold himself from his tight ball, but when his breathing evened enough, he asked, his voice muffled in his knees, "Is...is he still alive? Skaara?"

"We don't know for sure, kid," Jack said honestly. "We didn't see him after he escaped, but we think he might have left through the Stargate before the explosion."

"I don't understand what I should... I feel like I should be mourning him, but I don't...I don't even know if he's dead. Or if he's alive, I don't know if he's still... Skaara would _rather_ be dead than..." He stopped, then said, "I should be hoping they didn't escape. It would be better. For the war. But..."

"We have dealt a great blow to the Goa'uld today," Teal'c said. "If Apophis and Klorel did indeed escape, they will still have lost much of their power. You need not mourn your brother now, Daniel Jackson. While Skaara lives, and while we continue to fight, we may still restore him to who he was."

Daniel finally lifted his head a few inches, visibly trying to swallow his grief, one tear escaping down his cheek to be dashed away. When he looked up at Teal'c, Jack could see the familiar look of child and adult warring in his face, but, for the first time, he knew the shocked child was being beaten into submission by the determined adult that was beginning to emerge. " _Kel sha,_ Teal'c _._ Then I will continue," he vowed.

Teal'c dropped a hand onto his shoulder. "You fought bravely today, my friend."

Jack discovered some grief of his own to swallow, too.

Dr. Frasier stepped back out then, her timing making him suspect she had been listening and just waiting for the right time. "Colonel, Captain, Teal'c, it's almost midnight. Go and join everyone else in the 'gate room or go home, but I can't let you all stick around here."

"Doc, c'mon," Jack said, incredulous, from where he still sat with one arm around Daniel, who surreptitiously wiped a hand across his face. "Just--"

"There are other people waiting to see you," she told him gently. "You should at least show your face so people can see you're all alive--for morale, if nothing else. Besides, I really do need to draw a little more blood from Daniel to check his hormone levels and then let him sleep off whatever the sarcophagus did to his brain chemistry."

"I don't know if I can sleep," Daniel admitted, uncurling himself and restlessly unfolding his arms.

"I must still _kelno'reem_ tonight," Teal'c said. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson can join me in my room. I would be ill at ease at a large celebration."

Daniel made a halfhearted attempt to protest, "Teal'c, you don't have to--"

"It is no bother to allow another to _kelno'reem_ alongside me," Teal'c interrupted. "You already know this, _chal'ti_."

"Teal'c..." Fraiser started, then reconsidered and sighed. "Let me get a sample first, Daniel. If you're going to stay somewhere else, you still have to sleep as much as you can, and come see me first thing tomorrow. Teal'c," she added, "someone should be with him until we're sure everything's back to normal."

"I will remain with him, Dr. Frasier."

"All right, then, I'll allow it, but tell me immediately if anything out of the ordinary happens," Frasier said. She picked up a tourniquet, then paused. "Guys, if you don't mind? I need to get in."

They were all clustered together, blocking her path. Teal'c took his hand away; Carter rubbed Daniel's arm quickly, then moved back as well. Jack drew him close one more time and said quietly, "Listen. Your brother, and all this crap that's happened--we'll do everything we can to sort it out. You trust me?"

Daniel pulled back gently. "Of course. All of you."

"Are you gonna be okay tonight, with Teal'c? The truth, now."

He nodded seriously. "I know right now I'm a little...and with the sarcophagus... Just give me a night, Jack, to think and...and sort it out. I'll be fine," he promised. "Just give me until tomorrow. You'll see."

Jack wondered what it was that made Daniel think he should have to bounce back overnight from being tortured to death by his brother. And then there was a pang of guilt when he wondered whether _they_ had done this to him, made him feel that he had to prove himself strong, with their decision from months ago to keep him at the SGC and let him help them.

"I'm not asking you to be fine by tomorrow, Daniel," he said. "Take all the time you need. We'll be here, you know that."

"I know." Daniel looked at them briefly with an embarrassed tinge of pink in his cheeks, and smiled sadly. "Go celebrate. You saved the world."

XXXXX

**_20 April 1998; SGC, Earth; 0910 hrs_ **

General Hammond took a look around the briefing room at SG-1. "He _did_ know what time this was supposed to be?"

"Yes, sir," Jack answered.

"I haven't talked to him since the night of the Goa'uld attack," Hammond said, concern sneaking into his voice. "Is everything all right?"

Jack hesitated a minute. Daniel had been restless and jittery for a bit and prone to moments of staring into space before shaking himself and pretending he wasn't depressed. It was hard to say whether that was actually from the sarcophagus or from everything else, but, whether he was hiding it or truly bouncing back, he'd been acting almost normal in the last couple of days. Not wanting to lie and say _'yes'_ but not wanting to say _'no,'_ either, because that would be a lie, too, and it wasn't that simple, Jack was spared answering when Daniel came hurrying into the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sir," he apologized, a little breathlessly, as if he'd run.

"Lost track of time?" Hammond said neutrally as Daniel hurried toward a chair. Jack tracked his progress, looking for any sign of lingering melancholy, but...

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry," Daniel said enthusiastically. "Robert...uh, Dr. Rothman and I were going over some of the MALP data from P3C-117--that's one of the planets Dr. Jackson mentioned to us when we were comparing missions between our realities--and we were thinking it would probably be a good place to look into, because we noticed that the...well. Um." He blushed a little, then sat. "Sorry. He'll probably speak with you about that later, General."

Hammond's eyebrows had risen, but he looked less annoyed than amused. "I see. Try not to let it happen again, son." Including SG-1 in his gaze, he continued, "We just need to go over a few details from the mission on the Goa'uld mothership. I've already heard the gist of SG-1's side of the story, as well as Master Bra'tac's, but I still need yours, Mr. Jackson."

Daniel's expression sobered, but his voice remained steady. "Yes, sir." As if feeling another gaze on him, he flashed a small, reassuring smile and a nod in Jack's direction, then turned back to face the general. "Like Colonel O'Neill said, I spent the first few hours hidden in the 'gate room on Klorel's _hatak_..."

As Daniel carefully recited his part, Jack leaned back in his chair and tried to decide whether the pang he felt now was pride or sorrow.


	19. Epilogue: Solstice

**_4 May 1998; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs_ **

Daniel stood along with everyone else when General Hammond walked into the briefing room. "As you were," the general told them, taking his seat. "Mr. Jackson, it seems we need to discuss a few things."

"Yes, sir," he said, more prepared for this than he'd ever been for any other briefing.

"I see that all of SG-1 and Dr. Rothman are in support of this."

He looked around at the faces sitting around the table. "R--Dr. Rothman is familiar with how I work, and I've worked more closely with SG-1 than with any other team, officially and...well, unofficially. They were willing to come to help explain some things."

"By all means," the general said.

"There are two parts to my request, sir. The first..." He took a deep breath, then plunged in. "Abydos is very much at risk for an attack by the Goa'uld. The existence of the Tau'ri was first revealed there, a powerful System Lord was defeated there, and at least two Goa'uld are using Abydonian hosts and have the hosts' knowledge of the planet. Abydos doesn't have the technology to defend itself. However, the planet does have a large supply of naquadah ore, as well as some old stockpiles of refined mineral from Ra's era."

"You're proposing a trade."

"Yes, or a...an alliance with benefits for both sides. Earth has technology that can help Abydos; Abydos has resources that Earth can use. _And_ there are thousands of people there who hate the Goa'uld."

General Hammond folded his hands on the table. "Offering advanced technology to a less industrialized society always looks simple on the surface, Mr. Jackson, but it is not. We can give people weapons to defend themselves, but there's no assurance that they won't be misused, especially when the people are inexperienced with them. And we can't spare troops to police them constantly, nor am I certain it would be appropriate."

"I'm not talking about guns, sir," Daniel said. "General, I've seen people come back through Earth's Stargate with injuries that would be fatal on Abydos without question. For instance, I hurt my leg as a child; I almost died of infection, while such an injury would have been trivial on Earth. My parents said that Colonel O'Neill and Major Kawalsky left some medical supplies there during the first mission, but they didn't last long. I don't think you realize how much of a difference it would make to Abydos--medical supplies, or even just knowledge of how to treat certain injuries or illnesses."

"I have to say I wasn't thinking of that," the general said, looking interested. "Would they be willing to accept that?"

"I think...there are some people who'd be reluctant to change their ways, but a lot of things have been changing on Abydos in the last fifteen years; many people are very open to new ways. Anyway, it's something we could offer, in exchange for naquadah that they don't even use but would be extremely valuable to you. If they don't like that idea, Captain Carter thinks there's another possibility."

"Which is?"

Daniel glanced at Sam and said, "The last attack on Abydos came through the Stargate. Something like an iris could be placed over the their 'gate to prevent future unwanted entry while not completely burying it."

The general straightened and looked at Sam. "Captain Carter?"

"It should actually be relatively simple, sir," she said. "The easiest way would be simply to give them a way to receive radio transmissions and devise a way to block and unblock the 'gate easily by hand. It would only require that one or two people be on their end to answer and open it. We might even be able to rig an automatic mechanism, triggered by something like an IDC."

"They don't have electricity, much less computing systems," the general pointed out.

"But they do have a DHD that can be used as a power source. The iris is only needed for incoming wormholes, when the DHD isn't needed to power the 'gate itself. The system would be cruder than ours, but it should be effective."

"That wouldn't defend the planet from attacks by ships," General Hammond said.

"Excuse me, sir, sorry," Daniel said, "but Earth doesn't have a good way to defend the planet from an attack by ship, either; we were just lucky to get information from an alternate universe."

"The Seeker Project is in early planning stages here," Sam clarified. "If we can devise a way to detect an aerial assault on Earth, we may be able to do the same to protect our interests on Abydos. For the moment, however, an iris would give Abydos some measure of protection, and it would at least give them a safe way to keep their 'gate open to communicate with us."

"You're sure you could do something like this?"

Sam nodded. "With the months of experience we've gained and the research being done on the Antarctica DHD at Area 51...yes, General, I'm sure."

XXXXX

_ 30 April 1998; SGC, Earth, 1800 hrs _

_"Yes, Daniel, I'm sure," Sam said. "I never considered it before, but I spoke with some of the people involved with building our own iris, and it seems feasible, with a little planning."_

_Daniel looked through the control room window at the titanium shield. "It would be easier than how we used to block the 'gate on Abydos."_

_"How was that?"_

_"A big pile of rocks."_

_"Yeah, awkward to take down and put back up all the time," she agreed, smiling. "It's a good idea; I think it'll work. You think they'll go for it? Your elder, I mean."_

_He shrugged. "I can't speak for him, but I think so. If he's not convinced, I'll just tell him Jack O'Neill thinks it's a good idea," he added._

_"You do that," she said, laughing. "Come on, walk with me."_

_"Where? Aren't you going home?"_

_"Not quite yet," she said. "I need to show you something in my office first." Curious, he fell into step beside her, now intimately familiar with the hallways of this complex. "By the way, how was your first official trip off-world?"_

_"Healthier than my unofficial trips," Daniel told her happily. "And the people there, Sam! I wish we could have stayed longer to talk to them a little more. They were so nice, too. I can't imagine that most peoples are genuinely so welcoming to unknown travelers."_

_"With your experiences, Daniel, 'nice' people off-world could just mean they weren't trying to kill or zat you."_

_"Sam..."_

_"Kidding--I'm kidding. They did seem nice, even before Dr. Rothman came to translate."_

_"Oh, Robert was as excited as I was, I think. He's gone off-world a few times, but never with a research team like SG-7 before. And I never knew there were so many important things to consider about...about stone cutting tools and things. It was amazing just to be able to kneel in the dirt for days."_

_"You are literally the only person I know who would say something like that," she told him._

_"It's different when you live indoors and underground most of the time." He flashed her a quick smile. "Thank you for helping to convince the general to let Robert bring me along with SG-7."_

_"Once Colonel O'Neill thought it was safe enough for you, I think the consensus was that it was probably okay. And the convincing was mostly Rothman. Something about needing to get your hands dirty to learn properly." She glanced at him. "Guess that part came true, at least."_

_"Don't worry, I washed all the dirt off before the debriefing. I know you don't like alien mud getting into your lab."_

_"Actually, some people there get very excited about alien mud. They just like it to come in vials, not off the bottom of your boots."_

_They stepped into the lab, where Daniel caught a glimpse of something in one of the fume hoods that looked like it might actually be alien mud. The people ignored him, used to seeing him walk through, often to visit Sam, but he'd never lost his fascination with what they were all doing, even if he didn't understand most of it._

_"So what did you want to show me?" he asked once they'd reached her office in the back._

_Sam sat at her desk and reached into a drawer to pull out a thin binder. "Here."_

_He took it from her curiously. "SG-1 didn't go off-world while I was gone, did you? Is this new data?" He opened the binder to the first page and sat down hard in a chair. "Oh."_

_"It's almost Solstice on Abydos," she said. "I don't know how you celebrate it there, but I wanted to give you something. A coming-of-age gift, if you will."_

_It took him a moment to find his voice. "Where did...how did you..."_

_"I brought a video camera to Abydos, remember? It was my first time off-world, and I was so fascinated that I tried to catch footage of everything. I wasn't with your parents most of the time, but I managed to find a few frames with them in it."_

_The photo on the first page was from sometime soon after the Tau'ri had arrived on Abydos, before they'd all settled in to eat. The Stargate was partly visible in the background, with the Tau'ri standing and facing the 'gate guards, Skaara in front of them all. Between them, his mother was speaking to Major Kawalsky, while his father smiled at someone out of the frame. Daniel brushed a tentative finger over the picture, almost expecting to feel their skin against his._

_"Um. I can't..._ naturu _," he managed, avoiding her gaze. "This is just how they looked when..." He sat drinking in his parents' faces and only looked up when he realized he had a fist at his mouth and was biting hard on his knuckle. "Sam. Thank you. Just...thank you. So much."_

_She only said, "Turn the page."_

_He almost expected another picture, but instead, there was a list of words--Goa'uld words, with their English definitions next to them. He quickly thumbed through the rest of the pages and found the same. "What...is this a dictionary? How in the world could you get something like this?"_

_"I stole your notebook while you were gone," she said. "Not the one with the hieroglyphs, but there was one with Goa'uld words written out in an alphabet I could actually read. You have terrible handwriting, by the way," she teased._

_"You did all this?" he asked, flipping through more slowly and counting fifteen pages._

_"It's nowhere near complete, I'm sure--I saw other notes on your desk, so I just did a little bit. The point is, I think it would be a good idea to put together a dictionary, so I got it started for you. I'll give you the file and let you continue it." She reached out and closed the binder, setting it back down on his lap. "You and Dr. Rothman went off-world for four days, and two people went running to Teal'c for help with words. If you're going to start sharing more of Rothman's duties, you might as well give the other translators a reference they can use."_

_Daniel stared at the closed book. "Does that mean I have your approval about staying here?"_

_Sam considered that, then stood. "It means I know you can do it. Happy Solstice, Daniel."_

XXXXX

**_4 May 1998_ **

The general nodded slowly. "It does seem like a win-win situation. But are you sure that Abydos would agree to it?"

"I can't be sure before speaking with them," Daniel admitted honestly. "But I'm sure I can at least convince Elder Kasuf to...to discuss the terms with you or one of the diplomatic teams. I think I can eliminate any doubts they might have about Earth's good intentions. But since they're only planning to keep the Stargate open for one day, I wanted to ask you first if you would be open to the idea, so I can talk to them immediately when I go back."

Back home, finally. It was what he'd been waiting for these past months, and now, if everything went right, it would be just a temporary trip, for SGC business.

_No. Not just for the SGC or just Earth or just Abydos. For all of us._

"I _would_ be open to it," General Hammond said. "Once the Stargate on their side opens, you have my permission to extend the offer of an alliance with Abydos and ask them to enter into talks with us. You've offered to act as a liaison, you've said, or a translator when needed?"

"Kasuf can understand English fairly well," Daniel said. "If he decides to send someone in his place, several of the men and women can speak a little English, too, mostly those around my age set or younger. But I would be willing to help with more complex language or other cultural issues."

"I don't doubt that you would be," the general said. "And that brings us to the second part of your request--you're asking not only to stay on Earth, but also to continue working officially at Stargate Command, specifically as a civilian assisting Dr. Rothman and working with teams that deal with Abydos when it's needed."

A little nervous now they were reaching the more complicated part, Daniel nodded. "Yes, sir. The part about working with Dr. Rothman--it's more or less what I've been doing already. It would just be more organized now. I'd be held to the same work standards as anyone else in the department."

If the general didn't agree, they'd send him back to Abydos, where he couldn't do anything but act as interpreter for Earth once in a while. But there were other possibilities he could think of, other planets with a building resistance...

No. He would think about that only if the general refused.

General Hammond looked less than happy at his request. "Is this a condition of helping us set up an agreement with your home planet?"

"No. No, sir. I would make every attempt to help with that no matter what you decide."

"And you understand that, even if we do keep the connection open between our two worlds, if you wanted to stay with us and be treated like any other researcher, we would need you to be consistent. Your trips back to your home on Abydos, besides for business, would be as limited as Teal'c's are to his own family--perhaps more so, for reasons of your personal safety."

Daniel clenched his jaw but nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand."

The general studied him, then sighed. "I'm not entirely convinced I should go along with this. Dr. Rothman, since this would affect your department, especially yourself, I'd like to hear from you exactly what you're asking."

Robert nodded. "We're proposing a full commitment to the SGC on Daniel's part, but as...uh, essentially, a student-worker. In the department, he would be treated like any other civilian researcher, either as my assistant or working independently when I think he can handle a particular project on his own. Another part of his time would be devoted solely to study. In SGC emergencies, of course, I'd ask that Daniel be allowed to participate if he can help, regardless of hours--the way he's been participating already, but with stricter guidelines."

"Exactly what do you mean by 'study'?" General Hammond asked.

"I'd personally take responsibility for Daniel's work and put together the curriculum for his education," Robert replied. "If he continues to work here, he will be expected to pass the GED, which I think he could do in a year or two with some guidance. I know that's a minimum education requirement for all personnel here at the SGC."

"Something like that takes a lot of organization, Dr. Rothman. Don't forget that you have other obligations."

"I'll make sure it doesn't cut into with the time I spend working for the SGC. We've been at least as productive as any other two translators, and that's with me also taking time to examine artifacts and Daniel working unofficially and still learning. With more organization, I'm sure you won't see any less efficiency from our office."

"I don't have the formal education requirements you look for in a researcher," Daniel said, "so I understand I would need Dr. Rothman's approval for everything I worked on."

"With the exception of Teal'c," Robert went on, "Daniel knows more about the Goa'uld than almost anyone on Earth, including many people here. He's good at figuring out unfamiliar languages--better than I am, better than most of our linguists because of the languages he knows--and by now he knows what to pay attention to when we find things off-world. His educational background is...unconventional, but you don't learn things like this in college. He's been extremely helpful already, with little more than instinct and natural talent."

"I'm not questioning his competence or whether he can help the SGC," the general said. "I'm questioning the ethics of using him. He could enroll in a school fulltime to have a more normal education."

Daniel opened his mouth to protest that it wasn't 'using him' if he was volunteering for it, but Robert answered first.

"Personally, I'd like to see him go to college eventually," Robert said, "and I'll make sure he's prepared so that if he decides in a few years that he wants to, he can still do that."

Daniel spoke up, "The things I'll be learning here, General...it's the kind of thing I would have learned with my parents if they had survived. It's what I was raised to do, in a way. And in return, you'll have someone who has been literally living in the culture of the SGC and its specific issues and is willing to work for you."

The general pursed his lips, then said, "The two of you went off-world last week on a cultural and archaeological research mission."

"Yes--to P3C-117 with SG-7."

"And you would expect to be included in future off-world missions as well?"

"Yes, sir, the way any other civilian is included when necessary. With Dr. Rothman's approval, of course."

"Doctor?"

"I agree," Robert said. "The first few times, Daniel would accompany me when I go off-world and be under my supervision. Eventually, I think he could go on his own to safe planets, especially if he's familiar with a language they need an interpreter for--Goa'uld or spoken Egyptian, for example, no one's better qualified for that."

General Hammond frowned. "People's lives sometimes depend on the interpreter--it's a heavy responsibility to put on someone with no experience."

"General, no one has the right experience or qualifications for dealing with off-world people and research. I'm not a linguist, but I spend most of my time translating, because it's what the SGC needs. Daniel's already helped in communications that have saved lives, and he'll be continuously getting more specialized training than anyone could get outside the program. It would depend on you and the team leader's agreement, of course, but I think SG-7 would agree that he did fine on P3C-117."

XXXXX

_ 27 April 1998; P3C-117; 1300 hrs _

_"You having fun here on...what do they call this place?" Robert said. "P3C-117?"_

_Daniel looked up from the stone flake he had been peering at and promptly sneezed twice. "It's dusty," he defended when Robert looked amused, then pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "It's been months since I was outside for more than a few hours at a time."_

_"Well," Robert said, crouching down and taking the stone from him, "what's this?"_

_Shaking his head, Daniel admitted, "I don't know. If it's a tool of some kind, I've never seen it before."_

_"So why are you looking at it if it doesn't tell you anything?"_

_"Because..." He took the piece back from Robert. "I didn't say it couldn't tell us anything. It was chipped off something. I think this, here, this is the...uh, ring crack?"_

_"Which end is that, then?"_

_"The proximal end." He peeked upward. Robert nodded, so he continued, "And there's a"--he pointed at the area just below--"a...like it...I mean, it must have split off something. So unless it fell off from somewhere high and accidentally landed directly on something sharp and pointed and then split off neatly along this face..."_

_"Hey, you never know."_

_"Uh. O...kay," Daniel said, not sure if that was a joke. He swept his hand out to indicate other bits of stone lying scattered around the area of the ruins that he'd been studying. "But there are lots more like this. So I assume that means the people here used to make stone tools of some kind. Maybe these aren't the actual tools; they're just the...I don't know, leftovers. Flakes, I mean," he amended quickly when Robert opened his mouth._

_"Nice," Robert said, taking the flake back. "What you saw just under the ring crack is called the bulb of force--it's where two pieces split off, and it should match up with a scar on the core."_

_"Oh--from the cone of force. So that's what it looks like."_

_Robert looked startled, but pleased. "Yeah. Good--you've been studying. And I think you're right about this stuff you've been looking at. Also...Captain Lithell's found a few stone arrowheads, so, you know, stone working's a safe bet."_

_Daniel huffed and shook his head, smiling, then reverently ran his fingers over the remains of whatever civilization had been here millennia ago, saying, "Thanks for bringing me with you."_

_Robert snorted. "Tell me that again when you've picked up enough for me to start flooding you with more assignments. And besides...I saw that calendar Captain Carter gave you, the one that matches up our days and Abydonian days, so...it's almost Solstice there, right?"_

_Surprised that he'd noticed, Daniel nodded. "Around the end of this week."_

_"So, just consider this your rite of passage or something." Robert took off his pack and sat down, pulling out a power bar. "Is there some ritual you need to go through to be called an adult on Abydos?"_

_"It's not...exactly a ritual," Daniel said, sitting down and accepting his lunch. "Basically, you declare your intent to leave childhood behind, and then you prove yourself in the trade you've been taught, in front of your teacher or whoever came before you. Like...for example, Skaara was training to fight."_

_"Fight, like in an army? Abydos has a standing militia?"_

_"Kind of. We call them the_ wa'talu _\--the Guards. In a way, Ra kept Nagada safe, at least from other people on Abydos. So when Ra was gone, especially when we started being allowed to trade openly with other towns and tribes, we had to start learning to defend ourselves."_

_"Like a police force," Robert said._

_"Sure," Daniel said. "I guess. Skaara was one of the people who protected Nagada. For his coming-of-age, he challenged Tobay, who was the Master Guardsman, to unarmed combat. I remember watching."_

_"This wasn't...a fight to the death or anything, was it? And they're not gonna make you do that, right, 'cause I, uh, like you with your head intact."_

_Daniel grinned. "No, the fight just went on until Tobay yielded victory, and then Skaara took his place. My task will--would have had something to do with my...uh, profession, as a scholar and scribe. I wouldn't have been tested with a fight--but there aren't exactly rules for what each person does. A lot of the time, the boys declare their intent to continue their father's trade and then take his place after a test of skill, but..." He shrugged awkwardly. "That's not...exactly possible for me anymore."_

_"You know, if General Hammond had had his way, our office would've been your parents, most likely. So, in a way...you kind of are doing it." Robert stuck an empty wrapper into his pocket and stood. "Anyway, I actually came here to bring you to meet the people in the village."_

_"Really?" Daniel said, standing excitedly. "You still haven't told me what language they speak."_

_"Well, then consider_ this _part your coming-of-age test. You should be able to figure it out. Talk to them, ask them if we can stay and dig around those ruins back there for a few more days, see if there's a place we and SG-7 can stay the night, and...uh, learn about their culture and stuff."_

_When they arrived at the village and were greeted by a man and a woman in robes, Daniel's first thought was that he should learn more about clothing and architecture of ancient civilizations, because that would be a good clue about the people. His second thought was that thousands of years had passed since these people had been on Earth, so many things must have changed, anyway._

_"_ Selidi _," the man said as they approached._

_Daniel looked back toward Robert, who had dropped back and now crossed his arms but stayed silent. Assuming it was a greeting, Daniel said back, "_ Selidi _." When they inclined their heads, he tried pointing to himself and saying, "Daniel."_

_The woman smiled and said, "_ Seli, Dan-el _." She pointed to herself and said, "_ Manatha _." Pointing at her the man, she continued, "_ Meraidos mios _."_

_To confirm, Daniel said to her, "_ Seli, Manatha _," and then to the man, "_ Seli, Meraidos mios _."_

_But she laughed at the last part. The man shook his head, pointing to the woman. "_ Ios meraidos _."_

_Daniel narrowed his eyes, his thoughts whirring as he turned the sounds over. "_ Ios...meraidos? Ios, mios...io--'eius' _and_ 'meus?' _Uh..._ merai...merid--" _He studied the way the couple stood comfortably with each other._ "Meraidos... _must be_ 'maritus!' _Husband? Oh..." Trying again, he pointed to Robert, asking, "Uh..._ amicus _...uh,_ 'em...emaicus'... _no..._ 'emaicos mios?' _My friend?" He turned to Robert. "Is that right?"_

_The woman clapped her hands delightedly, while the man gestured toward a small house, saying, "_ Aintredi, emaici, aintredi _!"_

_"You made better time than I did, that's for sure," Robert said ruefully. "I have an idea--you take the people who are still alive, and I'll take the ruins from now on."_

_"But I like the ruins, too," Daniel replied automatically, ignoring Robert's snort. "I can't believe it's Latin. I mean, not really, but..."_

_"Remember the recording from P1-269? It's like that. Their language must have undergone some sort of regular vowel shift, and some other changes that you'll notice after you talk to them enough. Which means you have to shift pretty much every vowel that comes out of your mouth now, which, let me tell you, is more tiring than it sounds. And then figure out the grammar."_

_"Why? Is it really different?"_

_Robert pushed him a little toward the couple, who were still waving them toward the open door of the house. "I said 'figure it out,' geek. You heard the man--_ aintre! _"_

XXXXX

**_4 May 1998_ **

"You've been a participant--willing or not--on a few missions that were less than safe," General Hammond reminded him. "I hope that isn't the type of thing you're hoping to do more often."

This would be a tricky point, too. "No, sir, not at the moment," Daniel said carefully.

"Not 'at the moment'?"

"I--well, Dr. Rothman and I both believe it would be a good idea to increase civilian researchers' participation off-world," Daniel said. "I realize that's not a simple thing. What I'm asking is to be allowed to continue to learn with Teal'c, or undergo any other training necessary. If I learn to defend myself well enough--eventually--then any team I'm with won't be more burdened than necessary with trying to protect me."

The general pursed his lips. "Even assuming that I'd be willing to allow it, you've just presented a good argument about why you're useful here, on base."

"Captain Carter's expertise is useful on base as well," Daniel pointed out, "but her going off-world with SG-1 doesn't interfere with her other duties. First-contact situations are the ones in which language abilities and knowledge of mythology are most needed. We might be missing opportunities because we don't understand what the natives are saying, or if there's always a delay relaying information across the Stargate."

"The dilemma there," General Hammond said, "is that first-contact situations are also the riskiest. That's why we don't send civilians on those missions."

"Yes, sir, but two exceptions--my parents were sent on the very first mission of this kind, because of their cultural and linguistic expertise. They were essential for starting the Stargate program and saving lives, fifteen years ago and again this past year. And second...in the alternate reality, SG-1 didn't suffer from having the alternate...well, a civilian with them. Earth, in our reality, would be destroyed now if he hadn't been on a first-contact team."

"Mr. Jackson," the general said delicately, "all three of the people you mentioned are no longer with us. That is my point."

"I...I know, sir," he replied. "I haven't forgotten that. But all of the original SG-7, and several other good people here, have been killed, despite--and, in some cases, maybe even because--of their military training. No, no, all I mean," he said hastily when the general's frown deepened, "is that the military cannot prepare its officers for off-world diplomacy when we're just learning about it now as we go. Sometimes, another point of view might be useful. Necessary, even."

"SG-1 is our flagship team," the general pointed out, "which is why they benefit from being the most diverse of all our teams."

"Yes, but... Even for SG-1's first-contact missions... Teal'c has often been acting as the...spokesperson for the team when there are linguistic issues. I'm sure he's a good spokesperson," he added quickly, "but he could help in other ways if he weren't always burdened with that part." When he found Jack staring at him, he amended, "I was just using SG-1 as an example. Not because there's anything wrong with your record."

"We have found several Goa'uld planets where I was unable to facilitate communication," Teal'c put in. "Many times, if I am able to speak their language, they also know enough of Jaffa to fear me, or have heard of Teal'c the _shol'va_ from the Goa'uld who rules there. Daniel Jackson is correct that I am trained first for battle and would serve better were this not a problem."

"Research and exploration are important objectives to this program," the general said, "but that doesn't change the fact that we're starting to fight a war here, on top of other dangers."

"I'm not asking to go into danger completely unprepared," Daniel said. "I'm asking you to let me train with whoever is willing to teach me. I heard about the new regulations for new SG team members, that they have to pass physical tests and be able to respond to various situations--if I can meet those requirements, eventually, I'd ask you to consider it then."

General Hammond sighed. "I won't promise you a place on a team now. That will come if and when you are able to meet our requirements, and it certainly not soon. When that time comes, I might reevaluate our policy on civilian off-world travelers."

"Actually," Robert said, "I'd like to suggest that you start reevaluating it now, if there are researchers willing to be assigned to field teams. Whether or not Daniel's allowed, there are more civilian than military scientists here, and sometimes we could be useful in the field."

"Are you volunteering, Dr. Rothman?" the general said.

"If... _necessary_ , then yes, I'm willing to, but I'm happy staying home and going on occasional, purely research missions. But if someone wants permanent assignment on an off-world team...well, the military does work in combat zones with civilian contractors, so there are regulations in place to handle that."

"I'll keep it in mind," the general allowed reluctantly. " _If_ someone volunteers, I'll consider it on a case-by-case basis. Mr. Jackson," he added, "in your case, the answer is 'no.' Later, I might consider it, _if_ you can prove yourself to me and to one of our teams."

"I understand," Daniel said quickly, knowing he was unlikely to get any more. Even if the general agreed, it would be some time before most commanders here were comfortable commanding him, and uneasiness like that wasn't good for a team.

The general gave him a searching look. "Would the elder of your town on Abydos agree to let you stay with us, knowing that you would probably be safer with them?"

"Yes, sir, I think he would, once I tell him why."

"And what will you tell him?"

Daniel hesitated, then said, "I'll ask him to let me work with and fight for the people who freed Nagada and Abydos from Ra. To let me work for the people who may have a chance to save his children--my brother and sister. I'll tell him that I've made my choice."

XXXXX

_ 2 May 1998; SGC, Earth; 0800 hrs _

_"You have made your choice, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said when Daniel stepped into the gym that morning._

_"You know I have. I made it a while ago."_

_"But now you have seen what it means to fight a battle. It is not the same as the stories tell."_

_He thought of a night spent huddled in the corner of a prison on Chulak, of Sam's face as she led Cassandra to her death, of running through lines of enemy Jaffa carrying a bomb meant to kill each and every one aboard the ship, and he shook his head. "No. It's not the same." He hesitated, then asked, "Did you know them? The Serpent Guards aboard the_ hatak _vessels?"_

_Teal'c's mouth dipped into a frown. "Indeed. I trained many of them myself."_

_"And... If somehow, you had a chance to..."_

_"I would do it again," Teal'c told him evenly. "And so you now know that a victory can bring as much sorrow as a defeat."_

_"That's...encouraging," Daniel tried to joke weakly._

_"That is the nature of war."_

_He swallowed and looked away, repeating, "My choice."_ _He fingered his_ bashaak _, turning it slowly and shifting it from hand to hand. "Teal'c--is all of this for revenge?" he asked finally._

_Teal'c remained perfectly still, but his eyes brightened almost hungrily. "Yes."_

_"What happens if Apophis is killed? What do you do if...when the last Goa'uld that hurt you is dead or gone? Is that it?"_

_"Indeed not. Then I will fight for my wife and son, and for my people. There is vengeance to be taken for the past, Daniel Jackson, but there is also a future to protect."_

_Daniel gripped his practice staff and nodded, accepting, if not completely happy. He wasn't a child anymore; he couldn't expect everything to be happy. "Okay."_

_"Stop," Teal'c ordered suddenly. A little confused, since he hadn't actually started anything yet, Daniel nonetheless straightened and planted his staff upright on the mat in the formal resting position. Teal'c crossed the distance between them and pulled Daniel's free arm toward himself. With a gentleness that always surprised Daniel, no matter how many times he saw it, the Jaffa touched the band around his wrist. "Your brother gave this to you. It is a mark of strength to those on Abydos?"_

_"Not to everyone," he answered, unsure what Teal'c was doing, but trusting, not resisting. "Just...just to my brother."_

_Teal'c nodded once, then wrapped another length of thin, plain cord around his wrist above Skaara's, tying it off with deft fingers. "This leather was cut from the uniform I wore as a Jaffa warrior. Wear it as a mark of defiance against what the Goa'uld represent. Wear it as a mark of strength, not to all Jaffa, perhaps, but to your teacher._ Tai'ya teal'c ya daru, _Daniel Jackson."_

_Daniel stared at him a moment longer after Teal'c released his arm, then lowered himself to one knee, his_ bashaak _flat on the ground in front of him and his right fist over his heart. "_ Kel sha, Tek'ma'tae. Tai'ya teal'c ya daru _."_

_"_ Kree lo'sek! _"_

_He rose immediately and snapped to attention, the response automatic now. Teal'c stepped back and held his_ bashaak _in one hand, inviting the first move._

_"_ Kree ka _," he said. "Are you prepared to commit yourself fully this time,_ chal'ti _?"_

_"Yes." Daniel raised the staff, preparing to attack. He was committed. He had made his choice. "I am prepared."_

XXXXX

**_4 May 1998_ **

"Then there's your status on Earth to consider," General Hammond said. "To people here, you're a fourteen-year-old boy who has no business living, much less working, on a military base. Even the best students your age who wanted to work for the DoD would never be recruited for an operation as classified as this."

"Yes, sir, I know," Daniel said. "That's one part where I would need your help, as well as your permission."

"If I can cut in, General," Jack spoke up for the first time, "Teal'c lives on base, and he's had records created for anytime he needs to go out into the world. We could do something similar for Daniel--legally, he actually should be a US citizen, sir, by right of blood, and it's not like anyone officially knows that we're all that classified."

"How would his absence and sudden appearance be explained, then?" the general asked.

"Born abroad and currently serving as a representative from his...nation, or as a foreign volunteer in our operations. If Kasuf is willing to let Daniel stay and help us, he's got as much claim to that as Teal'c, who is, technically, a fugitive to his people. No offence, Teal'c."

"And this base would be his home?" the general said. "Your endorsement of this is what surprises me the most, Colonel. I remember you arguing more than anyone else about how it wasn't the right environment for someone to grow up." Daniel couldn't help letting his eyes drift over to Jack; he'd never known that before. "You've changed your mind about that?"

"No, sir," Jack said without hesitation. Daniel tensed. "I still don't think a military base is the right place for anyone to spend virtually his entire life. I don't even think it's right for Teal'c to be stuck here. But Daniel's asking to stay on Earth to help the SGC. If we're not going to let him do that, then he'd go back to Abydos."

The general looked briefly at Daniel, then back. "And this would be a bad thing, in your opinion? Going back to his home, rather than serving as part of the first line of defense for this planet?"

Instead of answering directly, Jack said, "Daniel, where would you go if you couldn't stay with us, here?"

Not sure where this was leading--he hadn't prepared for this--Daniel replied, "Abydos, of course. I would try to keep relations with Earth open."

"And keep the Stargate open, too. Which means people could travel to other planets."

"Well...well, yes, if... I do know the addresses of several safe planets that could be explored or researched."

"By now, you also know the addresses to several _un_ safe planets," Jack pointed out.

"Of course, but--"

"Like Chulak?"

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "I never told anyone I was thinking about--" He cut himself off.

Robert blinked at him, and Sam leaned forward in her chair. Jack nodded resignedly, as if he'd been expecting that, though Daniel knew he'd never mentioned it before; he'd barely even _thought_ it before. It had just been whispering through his thoughts, these days, as he was thinking about the future... He dropped his eyes, not wanting to meet their gazes.

General Hammond looked bewildered. "You've been thinking about going to Chulak? Why?"

Daniel swallowed. "No, I haven't...really. But they don't need me on Abydos, in the long term, and the only planets I know with any sort of organized Goa'uld resistance are Earth and Chulak."

"Whether or not Apophis survived the attack on his ships, Chulak is a planet heavily dominated by Goa'uld and Goa'uld followers, Mr. Jackson."

He opened his mouth to explain, but Teal'c understood his meaning and beat him to it. "It is also a planet where the seeds of a rebellion have been planted."

"Daniel," Sam said incredulously. "You can't actually think--"

"I _don't_ ," Daniel said, trying not to become flustered. "I haven't actually... It's just...one thing I've thought of. _Briefly_. It's not like I want...or that I've made plans to..." He exhaled and glared at Jack, who watched him in return, his expression blank.

"Dr. Jackson from the alternate reality said something like that to me and Teal'c," Jack said unexpectedly. "Because it was the only other planet of resistance, and he didn't care if he died."

"Daniel Jackson, your greatest strength in this war is your mind," Teal'c told him. "Do not throw that away."

"I'm not planning to," Daniel said immediately, more than a little disturbed to learn that some version of himself had been ready and willing to throw his life away. "I'm not...desperate or acting irrationally, and...and I can be a good resource if I'm given the chance," he recovered. "Let me be useful to you _here_ , General. That's all I'm asking."

"My point, sir," Jack said, calmly, "was that Daniel isn't going to sit back and do nothing. He could be a good 'resource,'" he said reluctantly, "though that's not the word I'd use. This is just a matter of making the best use of his...brain."

General Hammond looked between him and Jack. "I'm not denying that we could make use of his skills. I'm wondering whether we should."

"Daniel shouldn't have been here helping us from the beginning. I wish he _weren't_ involved. But he was, and he's here now. Whether that's our fault, or his, or the Goa'uld's, that's how it is. I wouldn't say this lightly," Jack added, "but after everything, I think he's earned a chance to help us, if that's what he wants. It might even be safer than letting him go off on his own."

"Maybe so, but at the very least, you've pointed out yourself that this place isn't meant to be a permanent living space," the general said. "Teal'c's choices may be limited simply because he stands out more, but that isn't the case for a young human."

"The majority of the time," Daniel said, "I would ask to be allowed to continue living here, sir, if you'd allow that." He hesitated, then continued, "Colonel O'Neill...uh, has offered..."

"Officially, he'll live in my house," Jack said, "until he's able to make his own arrangements or he decides to return to his homeworld. Obviously, he can't drive to or from here on his own, so in practice, he'd stay on base a lot when my schedule doesn't match with his, the way other SGC personnel have rooms here to spend the night occasionally. It's not perfect, but it's better than never seeing anything but gray walls."

The general rubbed a hand over his mouth. "You've given this a lot of thought. You really want to do this."

XXXXX

_ 1 May 1998; SGC, Earth, 1400 hrs _

_"So you really want to do this," Jack said once Daniel finished explaining everything to him. Daniel didn't bother replying, since they both knew what the answer was. "I'm not going to argue with you about it anymore."_

_It still surprised him, even though it was what Daniel had been hoping for. "Okay. Well. Thank you."_

_"You know," Jack said abruptly, "I've never told you this. I wasn't sure I should, since it was just a joke at the time. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea." Jack swiveled a little from side to side in his chair, looking casual, though Daniel suspected he was anything but._

_That was what people didn't understand about Jack. They assumed it was easy to see what he was thinking, because when he was angry he wasn't shy about yelling; he wasn't like Teal'c, who was very much controlled all the time unless he was about to rip someone's head off with his bare hands. Daniel had spent so much time talking to Teal'c that he could tell, usually, when the Jaffa was teaching a lesson or angry or pleased or joking. Jack was different. He exploded sometimes, but when he was really mad or really upset or really thinking hard about something, he looked and acted almost exactly the way he did when he just didn't care._

_So Daniel eyed Jack's unreadable face and asked, cautiously, "What is it?"_

_The chair stopped moving. "The night your parents were killed," Jack started, and Daniel was proud that he could hear that now and not react, "they told me...just as a joke, you understand...that they'd trust me with their first-born son."_

_Daniel let that slither around in his mind for a while until he was sure he understood. "I haven't been trying to take your Charlie's place, Jack," he said finally, deciding he would sort out the hurt and curiosity and confusion after they'd finished talking. "And I'm sure it was just an expression they were using. I'm sorry if it's made you feel obligated to--"_

_"Shut up a minute," Jack cut him off. "In the beginning, yeah, we all felt obligated, because you were a traumatized kid and we felt like we owed it to your parents."_

_Daniel opened his mouth to protest that he wasn't a 'traumatized kid,' only to close it again, because that was certainly how he'd acted._ _He felt his jaw start to tighten and forced out, "I understand. And thank you. But...please don't feel like you have to--"_

_"Dammit, Daniel," Jack said, but it was quiet, not sharp and angry like it usually was when Jack said that. "That's not what I'm saying. If you can't tell that it's not like that anymore, at least with me and Teal'c and Carter, then you're not as smart as Rothman says you are. It hasn't been like that since the first days after we brought you here."_

_For several moments, Daniel stood still, trying to figure out just what Jack was saying, then gave up and admitted, "I don't know what you're saying."_

_"At first, we tried to look after you because we had to," Jack explained. "Now, we want to look out for you because...because it turns out you're not a huge pain in the...mika."_

_"_ Mik'ta _," Daniel corrected automatically without thinking._

_"Okay, yeah, you_ are _, actually," Jack amended, "but we don't mind. That's what I'm saying."_

_He hadn't missed the change from 'look after' to 'look out for,' and wondered if it was intentional. "I want to tell you I don't need someone to look out for me, but I guess that's not very convincing after I've cried on you."_

_"It's not about that. You're a stronger person at fourteen--almost fifteen--than plenty of good men I know," Jack said, not with the false lightness used to bolster someone's spirits, but completely seriously, in a way that made Daniel want to stand up straighter. "God knows you've had more than enough to cry about, but you've always gotten back on your feet. That's not bad, kid."_

_Jack stood suddenly and dug a hand into his pocket. "Here," he said gruffly, holding something out. When Daniel hesitated, he rolled his eyes and pulled out Daniel's hand, unceremoniously stuffing something into the palm._

_"A...key?" Daniel asked. He tried to decide whether Jack wanted him to retrieve something, or if it meant something else. "I don't understand."_

_"You can't live underground forever. It's to my house--you know where the spare bedroom and everything is. That key'll get you in, even if I'm not there._

_"But I can't get to your house if you're not there," he pointed out, feeling particularly slow._

_"Well, in case you catch a ride there with someone, then," Jack said. "Or you hitchhike or hotwire a car, or...Daniel, it's supposed to be a...a symbol."_

_"Of what?" he asked stupidly._

_"Of...just..." Jack glared at him, dropping back into his seat. "It's a home. I know you'll probably be on base most of the time, but you need somewhere you can go to...you know, get away from things. Just a place to stay when you need or want to get out of the Mountain."_

_"Jack," Daniel said, fingering the grooves on the key, "I wouldn't ask you to... You don't have to feel like, just because my parents said--"_

_"This isn't about your parents or feeling obligated. Me, Carter, and Teal'c..." He paused, then said, "Remember Christmas, at Sam's house?"_

_The memory alone filled him with a tiny glow of contentedness, of longing and belonging all at once. "Of course I remember."_

_"It's not the same as being with your family, I know, but..."_

_"But family doesn't have to be blood," Daniel said, remembering the feeling of warmth from their makeshift Christmas dinner, casual and comfortable and careless for the day. Then he remembered the regret he'd felt afterward, knowing he'd be leaving them if he went back to Abydos, and he knew he'd be leaving family no matter which choice he made. "Family is the people it hurts to lose." He turned the key over in his fingers, peeking up through his bangs._

_Something flickered through Jack's eyes too quickly for Daniel to read, before he quirked a half-smile. "Very glass-half-empty of you, but maybe...maybe." He paused a few more beats, then said, "Another thing...Carter said she mentioned adoption to you."_

_Daniel froze. "Yes," he said carefully, the key growing heavy in his hand. "She did, but--"_

_"I know you told her you didn't want that," Jack interrupted, starting to swivel in his chair again. "Usually, I'd say you were wrong, but you were getting ready to be an adult by the time we found you. I understand that you might not be looking for new parents now. I don't exactly like that, I won't lie to you, but I'm not sure we have the right to force you to do things our way, either. I just want you to know, if you've changed your mind since then--I'm offering, Daniel."_

_Daniel looked away again, a lump beginning to itch at his throat. "If I'd wanted anyone to offer, Jack, it would be you. Don't think that I don't understand how much you've done for me since I got here. Or how much it means that you'd be willing to...to take me in."_

_"But 'no'?" Jack said gently._

_"If...if I'd been younger, or if I'd been raised here, or some other things hadn't happened..." He rubbed his fingers over the key one more time, savoring the feel, then slowly held it back out. "I don't think I can. I'm going to ask the general to be allowed to work here, as an adult--I have to take responsibility with that, too."_

_Jack reached out, but, instead of taking the key, he closed Daniel's fingers back over it and pushed it back. "Doesn't matter. The house is still open to you. Now, I--we're all still gonna treat you like you're younger than we are, because you_ are _. Go and be responsible for yourself, if that's what you want, but everyone needs a few friends to look out for them sometimes."_

_Daniel mulled over that for a long time, then carefully tucked the key inside his pocket. "Thank you. Thank you, Jack, for... If there's anything I can do to repay y--"_

_"Don't get yourself killed," Jack interrupted. "For real, this time. That's enough for me." He hesitated, then said, "And laugh a little more, kid. Happy Solstice."_

XXXXX

**_4 May 1998_ **

"A representative from Abydos," General Hammond said. "I think the right people could be convinced to allow it on those grounds, but don't expect them to grant you privileges, or to treat you as anything more than a student, or an intern assisting Dr. Rothman."

Not sure what all of that meant, Daniel glanced reflexively toward SG-1 on the other side of the table. Jack answered for him, "He's not asking for diplomatic privileges. He'll be responsible for following all of Earth's laws and SGC rules while he's here, or he'll take the consequences like anyone else. And if he ends up meeting someone outside the SGC, obviously, he understands that he won't be treated as an Abydonian spokesperson." Jack looked at him, and he nodded quickly.

"I would never expect something like that, General," Daniel said. "I'd be getting special treatment by being allowed to work here at all, and I know I _am_ still a student, in reality and on paper; I'm not asking for more."

"And," the general reminded him, "if there are still people who doubt your good intentions, or those of Abydos--and there always will be those suspicious of anything alien to Earth--official status won't erase those doubts."

"I understand."

"As long as it's also understood," Jack added with a hint of warning, "that as long as Daniel follows our laws, any higher-ups will follow them, too, in dealing with those suspicions, and not treat him as an alien with no human rights."

"You mean that he should be afforded the rights of any other person of this world, as long as he follows the laws like any other person of this world," the general summarized. "You'd be willing to do that, Mr. Jackson? Become a citizen of Earth, instead of Abydos, in all practical senses?"

_I'll always be an Abydon,_ he thought. _But it doesn't mean I can't be a Tau'ri, too, sometimes._ He had a place here by right of blood, Jack had said--by his parents' blood. He would carry out his parents' work, in his parents' world, for the sake of his own. "Yes, sir," Daniel said. "If that's what it takes."

"I've been wondering for a while now whether this was coming," General Hammond said. Daniel raised his eyebrows a little in surprise. "As much as I know you could be an asset to us, especially after some time to learn with the people here, I had some doubts about whether allowing it would be the right thing to do. In fact, I still do."

Daniel's stomach dropped, and he opened his mouth to try one last time, but the general continued before he could.

"Since you seem to have convinced some of my best people, however, on their advice, I'll allow it. On a provisional basis," he added. "I'll give you until the Abydos 'gate opens on..."

"August seventeenth," Sam and Jack said at the same time before he had a chance to fill it in.

"August seventeenth, then," the general said. "You have just over three months to show me that you can handle this without negatively affecting anyone or any operation here. Like any other person working here, if you can't keep up, I will put an end to it."

"Yes, sir," Daniel said, relieved. There was sorrow, too, waiting at the back of his mind, but he'd expected that, and he'd deal with it later.

"At some point during that time, I'll need to discuss with you, and Dr. Rothman, a few other things--mostly administrative business, including exactly what your story would be for anyone you meet outside of the SGC, and exactly how you would be handling your time and work. For now, however, I'd like to see if you can make this arrangement work out. When the Abydos 'gate opens, you'll ask the elder about cooperating with Earth's efforts against the Goa'uld..."

"Yes, sir, I'll speak to him as soon as I go through."

"... _And_ you will ask him for his permission for you to stay and work at the SGC. If he doesn't agree to it, then I won't either." The general took a minute to search each of their faces. "Is there anything else you'd like to add? Any of you?"

"That's everything," Rothman said, echoed by Jack's "No, sir."

"Thank you, General," Daniel said, and included the rest of them in his look as he promised, "I won't let you down."

General Hammond looked down at the table, then nodded and stood. They rose with him. "I know you won't, son. And, Daniel..." He extended a hand, and after a second, Daniel reached out to clasp it in return. "Welcome to Stargate Command."

**XXXXX**

**FIN**

**XXXXX**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Notes:
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I did. This was the first installment in the longest writing project I've ever tried, and I'm surprised (but glad) that I made it all the way to here.
> 
> There are sequels, which is part of the reason why this chapter ended up being as much setup as resolution. They generally follow the Stargate: SG-1 arc, though obviously, things were different here, already, and things will diverge more and more in the later parts of my universe as well. Major plot elements will remain present, if not exactly the same. Book 2, "Diplomacy," is posted, and you can expect more off-worldliness as Daniel sheds more and more of his age restrictions, more Abydos, and plot-twists galore.  
> Please leave feedback--thank you very much for following me this far!


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